LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 

©§jqti-- Gopimgy Da... 

Shelf.l4.5..K5 





UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



REPRESENTATION 



HEART OF MAN 



DEPRAVED STATE BY NATURE, 

AND THE 

CHANGES WHICH IT EXPERIENCES UNDER THE INFLUENCES 

OF THE 

SPIRIT OF GOD OPERATING UPON IT, 

TO WHICH ARE ADDED 

DIRECTIONS FOR KEEPING THE HEART. 



" Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall 
be opened unto you." Matt. 7 : 7. 

" Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. " Prov. 
4: 23. 



BOSTON: 
The McDonald & Gill Co. 
1893. 



3o%n y 



INTRODUCTION TO REVISED EDITION. 



The Book of Hearts is an old book, which has had 
a large circulation, and accomplished much good. It 
has been printed in several languages, but is now out of 
print. It has been thoroughly revised, and adapted to 
present needs, some new matter being added. The 
illustrations, nine in number, are striking in conception 
and character, accurate and expensive in preparation, 
and exceedingly suggestive in their lessons. By means 
of these we hope to reach the heart through the eye, 
fasten truth upon the memory, awaken the conscience 
and move the will. May the appeals contained in this 
book be heeded, and many be led into, and helped 
forward in the narrow way that leads to life everlasting. 

The Publishers. 



PREFACE. 



The Publisher, encouraged by the favorable re- 
ception and the rapid sale of the last edition of 
this work, has been induced to offer a second 
edition with some additions, revised and corrected. 
And as the present is a time when the Christian 
world is alive to every sentiment of humanity, and 
all striving to throw in their mite into the treas- 
ury, in order that the grand object, the salvation 
of the souls of men, may be effected, he feels a 
consciousness, that in presenting this little work 
to the public, he is offering something, although 
small yet substantial and well calculated, if read 
with serious attention, to stir up the unawakened 
soul to a sense of his depraved situation, and to 
beget a spirit of inquiry in the mind, which may 
lead the inquiring soul to open his lips in prayer, 
and press his suit at a throne of grace — believe, 
and enter into the joy of his Lord. A general 
outline of the contents cannot be better described 
than by the following quotation from Bunyan : 



PREFACE. 

This book, it chalketh out before thine eyes 

The man that seeks the everlasting prize ; 

It shows you whence he comes, whither he goes ; 

What he leaves undone ; also what he does : 

It shows you how he runs, and runs, 

Till he unto the gate of glory comes. 

It shows, too, who set out for life amain, 
As if the lasting crown they would obtain : 
Here also you may see the reason why 
They lose their labor, and like fools to die. 

This book will make a traveler of thee, 
If by its counsel thou wilt ruled be ; 
It will direct thee to the holy land, 
If thou wilt its directions understand : 
Yea, it will make the slothful active be ; 
The blind also delightful things to see. 



Peter D. Myers. 



JVo. 1. 



Picture of the Heart of man befoi'e he is regenerated. 




r 

The Human Heart in its natural state. 

" The Heart is deceitful above all things 
and desperately wicked." 

Jeremiah. 



i. Pride, self-conceit, vanity. 2. Covelonsness, fraud, avarice. 
j. Envy, deceit, malice. 4. Anger, revenge, resentment. 

3. Sensuality,, self-esteem. 6. Gluttony, selfishness. 

7. Indolence, sloth, idleness. 



FIGURE I. 



PICTURE OF THE HEART OF A PERSON DEAD IN 
TRESPASSES AND SINS, AND WHO SUFFERS SATAN 
TO REIGN IN HIM. 

V'OU see in this heart several figures represent- 



1 ing the evil propensities of fallen man. 

1. The Peacock is represented as spreading his 
tail of variegated colors, and denotes that hateful 
and killing sin Pride, which shows its appearance 
in various ways, and leads us on to destruction 
and death. 

2. The Goat, being an unruly and bad smelling 
animal, represents the licentiousness and impurity 
of the unregenerated heart of man. 

3. The Hog, being an animal fond of filth, is to 
represent drunkenness, gluttony, and dissipation 
of every kind. 

4. The Toad is to represent a low and earthly 
mind, covetous of this world's good, keeps close 
to the earth, and is never satisfied. 

5. The Serpent is to represent deceit, lying, 
and envy, seeking to supplant and ruin others, if 
more prosperous than ourselves. 




2 



REPRESENTATION OF 



6. The Tiger is to represent anger, unkindness, 
any temper contrary to love. 

7. The Turtle is to represent idleness, and 
sloth, a low grovelling mind, earthly and sensual. 

The guardian angel is watching over the sinner 
for good. The Dove, signifying the Holy Spirit, 
is hovering round, but finds no entrance to his 
heart, because he is blinded by the devil, and led 
captive at his will. 

The eye represents the mind, which is closed ; 
it does not see the light of life, all is dark and 
obscure to the natural man, — as our Savior has 
said, " The light of the body is the eye : if there- 
fore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be 
full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole 
body shall be full of darkness : if therefore the 
light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that 
darkness ?" The eye may also mean the under- 
standing as Paul has it, "Having the understand- 
ing darkened, being alienated from the life of God, 
through the ignorance that is in them because of the 
blindness of their heart" (Eph. 4: 18). By the 
fall of man all the powers of nature were depraved, 
polluted, and corrupted. 1st. The understanding 
was darkened (Eph. 4: 18). 2d. The conscience 
defiled. " Let us draw near with a true heart, in 
full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled 
from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed 
with pure water" (Heb. 10: 22). 3d, The will 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



3 



obstinate and rebellious. " Wherefore hear the 
word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this 
people which is in Jerusalem" (Heb. 28: 22). 
"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; 
for it is not subject to the law of God, neither 
iiideed can be" (Rom. 8: 7). 4th. The affections 
carnal and sensual. "Among whom also we all had 
our co7iversation in times past in the lusts of our 
flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the 
mind ; and were by nature the children of wrath, 
even as others" (Eph. 2: 3). 5th. All the thoughts 
uninterruptedly evil. " And God saw that the 
wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that 
every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was 
only evil continually" (Gen. 6: 5). 6th. And the 
whole mind, or heart, a nest of all manner of 
abominations. " The heart is deceitful above all 
things, and desperately wicked ; who can know it ? " 
(Jer. 17: 9). "For out of the heart proceed evil 
thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication^ thefts, 
false witness, blasphemies" (Matt. 15 : 19). 

" Original or birth sin is the corruption of the 
nature of every man that naturally is engendered 
of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very 
far gone from original righteousness, and is of 
his own nature inclined to evil, and that continu- 
ally'' (English Creed). Deformed as the picture 
is that is here drawn, it does not exceed in the 
darkness of its shades the original portrait, as 



4 



REPRESENTATION OF 



delineated by the inspired writers in general. 
Moses, who informs us that God created man in 
His own image, and after His likeness, soon casts 
a shade on his original dignity by giving us a sad 
account of his fall. He represents him, after his 
defection from God, as a criminal under sentence 
of death, — a wretch filled with guilt and shame, 
and dreading the presence of his Creator, — and 
turned out of Paradise into a wilderness which 
bears the marks of desolation for his sake ; and 
in consequence of this apostasy, he died, and all 
his posterity died in him. 

The natural consequence of this is, that every 
one descended from him, comes into the world 
spiritually dead, dead to God, wholly dead in sin : 
entirely void of the life, of God, void of the image 
of God, of all that righteousness and holiness, 
wherein Adam was created. Instead of this, 
every man born into the world, now bears the 
image of the devil, in pride and self-will ; the image 
of the beast, in sensual appetites and desires. 
While a man is in a mere natural state, before he 
is born of God, he has, in a spiritual sense, eyes 
and sees not : a thick veil lies upon them. He has 
ears, but hears not ; he is utterly deaf to what he 
is most of all concerned to hear. His other spirit- 
ual senses are all locked up ; he is in the same 
condition as if he had them not. Hence he has 
no knowledge of God, no intercourse with Him ; he 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



5 



is not at all acquainted with Him. He has no true 
knowledge of the things of God, either spiritual or 
eternal. He says unto God depart from us, we 
desire not the knowledge of Thy ways ; we do not 
want to know aught of God, nor what is our duty 
to Him. 

The state of nature is a state of utter darkness ; 
a state wherein " darkness covers the earth, and 
gross darkness the people. ,, The poor unawak- 
ened sinner; how much knowledge soever he may 
have as to other things, has no knowledge of him- 
self ; in this respect "he knoweth nothing yet as 
he ought to know." He knows not that he is a 
fallen spirit, whose only business in the present 
world is to recover from his fall, to regain that 
image of God wherein he was created. He sees 
no necessity for the one thing needful, even that 
inward universal change, that " birth from above/' 
which is the beginning of that total renovation ; 
that sanctification of spirit, soul, and body "with- 
out which no man shall see the Lord." Full of 
all disease as he is, he fancies himself in perfect 
health : fast bound in misery and iron, he dreams 
that he is happy, and at liberty. He says " Peace! 
Peace ! " while the devil, "as a strong man armed," 
is in full possession of his soul. He sleeps on 
still, and takes his rest, though hell is moved from 
beneath to meet him ; though the pit, from whence 
there is no return, hath opened its mouth to swal- 



6 REPRESENTATION OF 

low him up ; a fire is kindled around him, yet he 
knoweth it not, yea, it burns him, yet he lays it 
not to heart. 

Fearful and impious work do the passions make 
when they are engaged on the side of the flesh, 
the world, and the devil. What bold contempt of 
God and all that is holy! What unruly violence 
of love to vanity and sensual pleasure ! What 
mad delight in sin ! What impetuous desires of 
forbidden objects ! What malice boils in the 
heart against our neighbor, upon every supposed 
injury! What wicked envy frets and rages in the 
soul at the welfare of others ! What wrath and 
indignation, and revenge, are continually ready to 
be in arms ! and how do those hellish passions 
employ the tongue in slander and lies, and some- 
times imbrue the hands in mischief and blood? 
These are some of the fruits of the carnal mind 
which is enmity against God, and spring from the 
heart of man in his fallen state. By the carnal 
mind we understand a mind that is M earthly, sen- 
steal, and devilish" It is earthly, as all its ten- 
dency and propensities are to the earth, and to 
earthly attachments and pursuits. There is no 
natural disposition in such a mind to "set 
its affections on things above." It is sensual, 
as it leads to the gratification and indulgence of 
all the senses and bodily appetites; and neither 
desires nor relishes spiritual things. It is devilish, 



THE HEART OF MAN, 



7 



because it includes in itself a principle of pride 
and of hostility to God and His government. But 
what a glorious victory it is to have the vicious 
affections entirely subdued, and the powers of 
nature, which had been usurped by the devil, 
seized and restrained, and consecrated to the God 
of heaven, and become instruments of holiness and 
peace ! 

Reader ! is this the character and state of thy 
soul ! art thou in the gall of bitterness and bonds 
of iniquity ? Arise, call on the name of the Lord, 
that the grace of repentance may be given unto 
thee, and thou find mercy in the forgiveness of all 
thy sins, by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Sinners, turn, Why will ye die ? 
God your Maker, asks you why ? 
God, who did your being give, 
Made you with Himself to live ; 
He the fatal cause demands, 
Asks the work of His own hands, 
Why, ye thankless creatures, why 
Will ye cross His love and die ? 

Sinners, turn, why will ye die? 
God your Savior asks you why ? 
Christ, who did your souls retrieve, 
Died himself that ye might live. 
Will you let Him die in vain ? 
Crucify your Lord again ? 
Why, ye ransomed sinners, why, 
Will ye slight His grace, and die ? 



REPRESENTATION OF 



Sinners, turn, why will ye die ? 
God the Spirit asks you why ? 
He who all your lives hath strove, 
Woo'd you to embrace His love ; 
Will ye not His grace receive ? 
Will ye still refuse to live ? 
Why, you long-sought sinners, why 
Will you grieve your God, and die ? 

Dead, already dead within, 
Spiritually dead in sin i 
Dead to God, while here you breathe 
Pant you after second death ? 
Will ye still in sin remain, 
Greedy of eternal pain ? 
O ye dying sinners, why, 
Why will ye for ever die ? 

ORIGINAL AND ACTUAL SIN. 

Lord, we are vile, conceived in sin, 
And born unholy and unclean ; 
Sprung from the man whose guilty fall 
Corrupts his race, and taints us all. 

Soon as we draw our infant breath 
The seeds of sin grow up for death ; 
Thy law demands a perfect heart, 
But we're defiled in every part. 

Behold, we fall before Thy face ; 
Our only refuge is Thy grace; 
No outward forms can make us clean ; ■ 
The leprosy lies deep within. 

Nor bleeding bird, nor bleeding beast, 
Nor hyssop branch, nor sprinkling priest, 
Nor running brook, nor flood, nor sea, 
Can wash the dismal stain away. 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



Jesus, Thy blood, Thy blood alone, 
Hath power sufficient to atone ; 
Thy blood can make us white as snow ; 
No Jewish types could cleanse us so. 

While guilt disturbs and breaks our peace, 
Nor flesh nor soul hath rest or ease ; 
Lord, let us hear Thy pardoning voice, 
And make these broken hearts rejoice. 



10 



REPRESENTATION OF 



FIGURE II. 



PICTURE OF THE HEART OF A PERSON CONVINCED 
OF SIN, AND ENDEAVORING TO FLEE THE WRATH 
TO COME. 

THE sword in the angel's hand signifies justice, 



the awakened soul now feels that it would have 
been just in God to have damned him long ago. 
The skull in the other hand signifies that Christ 
was crucified, and died, to make provision for his 
salvation. By the powerful influence of the Spirit 
of God, you see the devil and his associate spirits 
taking their departure. The Dove, signifying the 
Holy Spirit, has opened the eyes of his under- 
standing, and He who of old " commanded light to 
shine out of darkness, has shined on his heart, and 
he sees the light of the glory of God," His glorious 
love "in the face of Jesus Christ. ,, His ears 
being opened, he is now capable of hearing the 
inward voice of God, saying, "My son, give me 
thy heart." 

Repentance takes place, for that saving grace 
wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God, whereby 




No. 2. 




Pic 'tut 'e of a Heart which has just been impressed 
with the view of death and judgment by the striving of 
the Holy Spirit for entrance. 

Men and brethren " What shall I do to be saved. 11 
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



11 



a sinner is made to see and be sensible of his 
sin, has reached his stubborn heart, and he is 
grieved and humbled before God on account of 
it, not so much for the punishment to which sin 
has made him liable, as that thereby God is dis- 
honored and offended, His laws violated, and his 
own soul polluted and defiled ; and this grief arises 
from love to God, and is accompanied with a 
hatred of sin, a love of holiness, and a fixed 
resolution to forsake sin, and an expectation of 
favor and forgiveness, through the merits of 
Christ. This is evangelical or gospel repentance. 

" Repent ye : for the kingdom of heaven is at 
hand" (Matt. 3 : 2). "Bring forth, therefore, fruits 
meet for repentance" (Matt. 3 : 8). "Repent ye 
therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be 
blotted out, when the time of refreshing shall come 
from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3 : 19). 
" For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation 
not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world 
worketh death." (2 Cor. 7 : 10.) 

When men are convinced of the heinous nature of 
sin in themselves, and before God, they are brought 
to a hearty repentance of the same, by sincere 
resolutions of amendment, and by bringing forth 
fruits corresponding; by ceasing from evil, doing 
good, using the ordinances of God in general, obey- 
ing Him according to the measure of grace which 
they have received. They feel in themselves the 



12 



REPRESENTATION OF 



heavy burden of sin, see damnation to be the 
reward of it, behold with the eye of their mind the 
horror of hell : they tremble, they quake, and are 
inwardly touched with sorrowfulness of heart, and 
cannot but accuse themselves, and open their 
grief unto Almighty God, and call upon Him for 
mercy. This being done seriously, their mind is 
so occupied, partly with sorrow and heaviness, 
partly with an earnest desire to be delivered from 
this danger of hell and damnation, that all desire 
of meat and drink is laid apart, and loathing of all 
earthly things and pleasure cometh in place. So 
that nothing liketh them more, than to weep, to 
lament, to mourn, and both with words and beha- 
vior of body, to show themselves weary of life. 
When the heart is awakened to a full sense of 
sin, and the fear of divine vengeance possesses and 
torments the spirit, then it is the most importu- 
nate inquiry of the heart and lips, " What shall I 
do to be saved? " How shall I escape the wrath 
to come? How is the governing justice of God to 
be satisfied for my offenses? What is the way to 
be made partaker of His pardoning mercy ? 
" Wherewith shall I bow myself, and worship the 
Most High God " (Mic. 6 : 6). This was the 
language of the awakened jailer, who had just 
before scourged the saints of the Lord, the apos- 
tles : " Sirs, what must I do to be saved" (Acts 
16 : 30). This was the earnest cry of the crucifiers 



THE HEART OF MAN, 



13 



of Christ himself, at St. Peter's sermon, " when 
they were pricked to their hearts. " Thus the 
Psalmist prayed when distressed on account of his 
sins : " Remember not the sins of my youth, nor 
my transgressions : according to thy mercy, re- 
member thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord" 
(Ps. 25: 7). And then it is added, " Good and 
upright is the Lord : therefore will he teach sin- 
ners in the way (ver. 8). St. Paul learned all the 
terrors of the Lord, and felt all his painful pas- 
sions in uproar, when he was struck down to the 
dust with the dreadful and overwhelming glory in 
his way to Damascus. And with what intense 
and hasty zeal did he make this inquiry, " Lord, 
what wilt thou have me to do?" And when he 
had learned the knowledge of Christ, as the only 
way to the favor of God and salvation, how highly 
did he value it ! 

As the great end for which Christ came into 
the world was to save us from our sins, all who 
would partake of His salvation, must give up the 
service of sin, or they will seek after it in vain. 
" Repent, and turn yourselves from all your trans- 
gressions ; so iniquity shall not be your ruin" 
(Ezek. 18 : 30). This includes all kinds of wicked- 
ness, profaneness, deceit, treachery, intemperance, 
lewdness, wrath, strife, and malice; and whatever 
is contrary to the gospel, dishonorable to God, 
hurtful to others, or dangerous to ourselves. 



14 



REPRESENTATION OF 



Reader ! I dare not refrain from adding one 
plain question, which I beseech you to answer, not 
to me, but to God. Have you ever experienced 
this repentance yourself ? this godly sorrow for 
sin ? Did you ever feel in yourself that heavy 
burden of sin ? Of sin in general ; more especially 
inward sin? Of pride, anger, lust, vanity? Of 
(what is all sin in one) that carnal mind, which is 
enmity, essential enmity against God ? Do you 
know by experience what it is to behold with 
the eye of the mind the horror of hell? Was your 
mind ever so taken up, partly with sorrow and 
heaviness, partly with an earnest desire to be 
delivered from this danger of hell and damnation, 
that even all desire of meat and drink was taken 
away, and you loathed all worldly things and pleas- 
ure? Surely, if you ever knew what it was to have 
the arrows of the Almighty thus sticking fast in 
you y you cannot lightly condemn those who cry 
out, The pains of hell come about me: the sorrows 
of death compass me, and the overflowing of ungod- 
liness make me afraid. Who shall deliver me ? 

If you have thus repented, you are not far from 
the kingdom of God. Open the door of your 
heart, let the blessed Jesus in, who has been 
knocking, and waiting until His locks are wet with 
the dew of the night desiring admission. Throw 
yourself on His mercy, and believe on the Lord 
Jesus, and you shall be saved. The promise is, " if 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



15 



we confess our sins he is faithful and just to for- 
give us our sins penitent soul, believe the word 
of God ; remember, now is the day of salvation, 
now is the accepted time, trust in Him with all 
your soul, and He is your Savior, and you shall be 
His by adoption, and be enabled by the Holy Spirit 
given you, to call Him Abba, Father ; then will 
you find rest to your soul, yea, peace the world 
cannot give nor take away. 

CONDEMNED, BUT PLEADING THE PROMISES. 

Show pity, Lord, O Lord, forgive ; 
Let a repenting rebel live. 
Are not Thy mercies large and free ? 
May not a sinner trust in Thee ? 

My crimes are great, but don't surpass 
The power and glory of Thy grace ; 
Great God, Thy nature hath no bound, — 
So let Thy pard'ning love be found. 

wash my soul from every sin, 

And make my guilty conscience clean ; 
Here on my heart the burden lies, 
And past offenses pain my eyes. 

My lips with shame my sins confess, 
Against Thy law, against Thy grace ; 
Lord, should Thy judgments grow severe, 

1 am condemn'd, but Thou art clear. 

Should sudden vengeance seize my breath, 
I must pronounce Thee just, in death ; 
And if my soul were sent to hell, 
Thy righteous law approves it well. 



REPRESENTATION OF 



Yet save a trembling sinner, Lord, 
Whose hope, still hov'ring round Thy word, 
Would light on some sweet promise there,— < 
Some sure support against despair. 

SEEKING THE FATHER'S FACE. 

Father of Jesus Christ, my Lord, 

I humbly seek Thy face, 
Encouraged by the Savior's word 

To ask Thy pardoning grace. 

Entering into my closet, I 

The busy world exclude ; 
In secret prayer for mercy cry, 

And groan to be renewed. 

Thy grace I languish to receive, 

The spirit of love and power ; 
Blameless before Thy face to live, 

To live and sin no more. 

Fain would I all Thy goodness feel, 

And know my sins forgiven ! 
And do on earth Thy perfect will 

As angels do in heaven. 

O Father, glorify thy Son, 

And grant what I require ; 
For Jesus' sake the gift send down, 

And answer me by fire. 

Kindle the flame of love within, 
Which may to heaven ascend ; 

And now the work of grace begin, 
Which shall in glory end. 



No. 3. 





Picture of the Heart which has tasted the good word 
of God — the gift of the Holy Spirit and the power of 
the world to come, 

" Continue ye in my love" 
Be ye faithful unto death, and ye shall receive a crown of life. 
Watch and pray. 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



17 



FIGURE III. 



PICTURE OF THE HEART OF A PERSON WHOSE SINS 
ARE FORGIVEN, AND WHO IS FILLED WITH PEACE 
AND JOY IN BELIEVING IN THE LORD JESUS. 

"God is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart 
and a contrite spirit; He healeth the broken in heart, 
and bindeth up their wounds" (Ps. 147 : 3.) 

T^HE angel in this plate is presenting in one hand 



the Holy Bible, encouraging the soul still to 
rely on the precious promises therein contained. 
In the other hand is the cross, signifying that ail 
the blessings we enjoy, both spiritual and tem- 
poral, have been purchased for us by the Savior's 
death, whereby provision is made for the salvation 
of our souls. 

The eye here is represented as looking upwards, 
watching the motions and influence of the Holy 
Spirit ; his eye is now single to the glory of God, 
therefore his body is full of light. 

The Dove, signifying the Holy Spirit, has taken 
possession of this heart, and you see the devil and 




18 



REPRESENTATION OF 



his associate spirits, that once possessed it, are now 
driven out, and the fruits of the Spirit are now 
implanted. In the place of pride is humility, in 
the place of licentiousness and impurity is purity, 
etc. We can read what is his language, being 
born again. Come and hear, all ye that fear God, 
etc. 

The soul is made to rejoice in the Lord, his eyes 
overflow with tears of joy, and with the Psalmist 
he cries out, I will extol Thee, my God, O King ; I 
will bless Thy name for ever and ever. And also 
in language like this : I waited patiently for the 
Lord ; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 
He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of 
the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and 
established my goings. And He hath put a new 
song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. 

He is now delivered from the state, and the 
wretchedness, and body of death, of which he had 
been complaining — and a new state is possessed 
in Christ Jesus — and there is now no condemna- 
tion. " For ye have not received the spirit of 
bondage again to fear ; but ye have received the 
spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father : 
the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that 
we are the children of God : and if children, then 
heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ." 
The Spirit, as the great agent in man's new crea- 
tion and salvation, worketh with energy, and work- 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



19 



eth effectually to the casting down of every high 
imagination and thought that exalteth itself; and 
bringeth all into subjection to the obedience of 
Christ. To dwell in us, and walk in us ; to take 
away the heart of stone, and give us a heart of 
flesh, is another promise full of consolation, and 
well calculated to inspire our faith. Let us not 
say, " How can these things be ? " for, be assured, 
"so is every one that is born of the Spirit." To 
be created anew, or to have the renewing of the 
Holy Ghost, is also to have the fruits of the Spirit 
— love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness and 
goodness. 

St. Paul declares, that being justified by Faith, 
we have peace with God ; which undoubtedly means, 
not only that God is at peace with us, but that we 
have peace of conscience, and that the sense of the 
divine displeasure is removed : as it is expressed 
in other passages, " There is now no condemnation 
to them who are in Christ Jesus," " If our hearts 
condemn us not, then have we confidence towards 
God." He also mentions that the love of God is 
shed abroad in the hearts of such, by the Holy Ghost 
which is given unto them. The Apostle does not 
intend merely to inform us, that God loves us, but 
that we feel a return of love to Him in our hearts. 
And St. John says, " Everyone that loveth is born 
of God, and know eth God." Now is it possible 
that a person, who is under deep distress of mind 



20 



REPRESENTATION OF 



for his past sins, and walks in sorrow and anguish, 
with a sense of guilt upon his conscience, can, at 
the same time, have these marks of being justified 
before God ? have peace with Him, and peace of 
mind, and feel the love of God shed abroad in his 
heart, by the Holy Ghost given to him ? Each of 
the blessings here mentioned, as is clear from the 
oracles of truth, belongs to that soul which is jus- 
tified by faith in the Redeemer, and we know not 
how it is possible for a person to possess them, and 
not be conscious thereof. 

It is undoubtedly our privilege to enjoy a sense 
of the favor of God, and to walk in the light of 
his countenance. And when, being redeemed by 
the blood of Christ, we are brought into the glori- 
ous liberty of the sons of. God, we may stand fast 
in tlie liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free ; 
having our hope full of a blessed and glorious im- 
mortality. Then shall our peace flow as a river, 
and oitr righteousness as the waves of the sea. 

Conversion is the turning, or total change of a 
sinner from his sins to God, and is produced by the 
influence of divine grace on the soul. Conversion 
evidences itself by ardent love to God, Ps. 73 : 25 — 
delight hi His people, John 13 : 35 — attendance 
on His ordinances, Ps. 27 : 4. — confidence in 
His promises, Ps. 9: 10.- — abhorrence of self, 
and renunciation of the world, Jas. 4 : 4. — sub- 



THE HEART OF MAX. 



21 



mission to God's authority, and uniform obedience 
to His word, Matt. 7 : 20. 

The person thus converted is enabled to taste, as 
well as see, how gracious the Lord is. He enters 
into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, and tastes 
of the powers of the world to come. He finds 
Jesus' love far better than wine ; yea, sweeter than 
honey or the honeycomb. He knows what that 
meaneth, " all thy garments smell of myrrh, aloes 
and cassia." He feels the love of God shed abroad 
in his heart by the Holy Ghost which is given unto 
him. This change from spiritual death to spiritual 
life, is properly the New Birth : all the particulars 
whereof are admirably well expressed by Dr. Watts 
in one verse : 

" Renew my eyes, and form my ears, 
And mould my heart afresh ; 
Give me new passions, hopes, and fears, 
And turn the stone to flesh." 

" Be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee " 
— "go and sin no more." This is the purport of 
what God speaks to his heart ; although perhaps 
not in these very words. He is now ready to hear 
whatsoever "He that teacheth man knowledge," 
is pleased from time to time to reveal to him. He 
feels he is conscious of a " peace which passeth all 
understanding." He many times feels such a joy 
in God, as is " unspeakable and full of glory." 
All his spiritual senses are now exercised to discern 



t 



22 REPRESENTATION OF 

spiritual good and evil. By the use of these, he is 
daily increasing in the knowledge of God, of Jesus 
Christ whom he hath sent, and of all the things per- 
taining to his inward kingdom. And now he may 
be properly said to live : God having quickened him 
by his Spirit, he is alive to God through Jesus 
Christ. He lives a life the world knoweth not of, 
a "life which is hid with Christ in God" God 
is continually breathing, as it were, upon the 
soul, and his soul is breathing unto God. Grace is 
descending into his heart, and prayer and praise 
ascending to heaven. And by this intercourse 
between God and man, this fellowship with the 
Father and the Son, as by a kind of spiritual res- 
piration, the life of God in the soul is sustained ; 
and the child of God grows up, till he comes to the 
"full measure of the stature of Christ." 

From hence it manifestly appears, what is the 
nature of the new birth. It is that great change 
which God works in the soul, when he brings it in- 
to life ; when he raises it from the death of sin, to 
the life of righteousness. It is the change 
wrought in the whole soul by the Almighty Spirit 
of God, when it is " created anew in Christ Jesus," 
when it is " renewed after the image of God, in 
righteousness and true holiness ; " when the love of 
the world is changed into the love of God ; pride 
into humility ; passion into meekness ; hatred, envy, 
malice into a sincere, tender, disinterested love for 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



23 



all mankind. In a word, it is that change whereby 
the earthly, sensual, devilish mind is turned into 
the "mind which was in Christ Jesus. " This is 
the nature of the new birth, " So is every one that 
is born of the Spirit." 

Do you ask how this Spirit is to be obtained? We 
answer, " Ask and ye shall receive;" "for if ye, 
being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your 
children, how much more shall your heavenly 
Father give the Holy Spirit to them who ask him? " 
Try the faithfulness of God to His promise, and 
bring your offering into His store-house and prove 
Him therewith, and see if He will not pour out 
blessings until there be not room to contain them : 
for He will pour His Spirit upon thy seed, and His 
blessing upon thine offspring. He will sprinkle 
clean water upon you, and from all your idols will 
He cleanse you. For everyone that asketh receiv- 
eth ; and he that seeketh, findeth. But ask in 
faith, and let your faith rest on the great atone- 
ment. For whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believing, 
ye shall receive. Ye shall receive it, for the mouth 
of God hath spoken it. 

Reader, let this, therefore, if you have not al- 
ready experienced this inward work of God, be 
your continual prayer, " Lord, add this to all thy 
blessings, let me be born again. Deny whatever 
thou pleaseth, but deny not this, let me be born 
from above. Take away whatsoever seemeth Thee 



24 REPRESENTATION OF 

good, — reputation, fortune, friends, health. Only 
give me this, to be born of the Spirit. To be 
received among the children of God. Let me be 
born, "not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, 
by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for 
ever." And then let me daily " grow in grace, and 
in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus 
Christ." 

Away, vain thoughts which lodge within. 

Nor farther now proceed ; 
How should I longer live in sin, 

Who unto sin am dead ? 

A new and holy life I live, 

And fashion'd to His death, 
His resurrection's pow'r receive, 

And by His spirit breathe. 

For ever be his name ador'd 

For what I have receiv'd. 
I have embrac'd the gospel word, 

And with my heart believ'd. 

Jesus can to the utmost save ; 

On Jesus I depend ; 
My fruit to holiness I have, 

And shall in glory end. 



Thou, Lord, hast blest my going out, 

O bless my coming in ! 
Compass my weakness round about, 

And keep me safe from sin. 

Still hide me in Thy secret place, 

Thy tabernacle spread ; 
Shelter me with preserving grace, 

And screen my naked head. 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



To Thee for refuge may I run, 
From sin's alluring snare : 

Ready its first approach to shun, 
And watching unto prayer. 

Fix my new heart on things above, 
And then from earth release \ 

I ask not life, but let me love, 
And lay me down in peace. 



26 



REPRESENTATION OF 



FIGURE IV. 

PICTURE OF THE HEART OF HIM WHO, AFTER CON- 
VERSION, IS DETERMINED TO KNOW NOTHING BUT 
CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED. 

TN the room of those frightful creatures, which 
used to inhabit his breast, you will now find 
engraven in his heart, some of the fruits of the 
Holy Spirit, namely, peace, joy, long-suffering, 
gentleness, goodness, etc. 

The eye is here represented as being open, the 
soul now fully sees what is the will of the Lord 
concerning him, and is striving to do it. 

In this plate of the heart, we see the Dove 
signifying the Holy Spirit abiding, and represent- 
ing that this soul is holding fast the beginning of 
his confidence in God, and while so doing the 
devil must flee before the Spirit of God. The 
Angel is close by to guard and protect and en- 
courage him to steadfastness and perseverance in 
believing. As the Apostle Paul says, now abid- 
eth Faith, Hope, Charity, or Love, t and the 
greatest of these is charity, so his soul is pressing 



Mo. 4- 




"Blessed are the pure i?i heart, for they shall see God" 
" Ye are the light of the zvorld" 



THE HEART OF MAN. 27 

on to know the Lord, whom to know is life 
eternal. 

The language of a heart in this state cries out 
with the Apostle Paul, I determine to know nothing 
among men, but Christ and Him crucified ; God 
forbid, that I should glory save in the cross of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified 
unto me, and I unto the world. I Cor. 2:2; Gal. 
4: 14. The whole bent of his mind is aspiring 
for more of a conformity to the will of God in 
all things. O that I were more like my Savior; 
His constant theme is breathing after holiness, 
without which no man shall see the Lord. He 
takes hold on the promises of God to him, 
" Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after 
righteousness, for they shall be filled." " If we 
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive 
us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteous- 
ness." " Having, therefore, these promises, dearly be- 
loved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of 
the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear 
of God." (2 Cor. 6 : 1.) He rejoices when he 
suffers reproach, affliction, temptation, distress, 
adversity, or persecution for righteousness' sake ; 
none of these things move him, for what shall 
harm him if he follow that which is good, knowing 
that if he suffers with his Master here, he shall 
also reign with Him. He takes encouragement to 
go on the even tenor of his way, trusting that 



28 



REPRESENTATION OF 



these light afflictions, which are but for a moment, 
shall work out for him a far more exceeding and 
eternal weight of glory, if he is faithful to the 
grace given. This one thing I do, forgetting those 
things which are behind, and reaching forth unto 
those things which are before; I press toward the 
mark, for the prize of the high calling of God, in 
Christ Jesus. Phil. 3: 13, 14. This great gift of 
God, the salvation of his soul, is no other than the 
image of God fresh stamped on his heart. It is a 
renewal in the spirit of our minds after the like- 
ness of Him that created them ; God has now laid 
the axe unto the root of the tree, purifying his 
heart by faith, and cleansing all the thoughts of 
his heart by the inspiration of His Holy Spirit. 
Having this hope, that he shall see God as He is, 
he purifies himself even as He is pure; and is holy, 
even as He that hath called him is holy, in all manner 
of conversation. Not that he has already attained 
all that he shall attain, either is already perfect. 
But he daily "goes on from strength to strength, " 
beholding now, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord ; 
he is changed into the same image, from glory to 
glory, by the spirit of the Lord. He has to watch 
unto prayer, for the devil is still his adversary, 
and goeth about seeking whom he may devour. 

While seeking for the fullness of God, he cries 
out, 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



29 



O that I now the rest may know, 

Believe and enter in ; 
Now, Savior, now the power bestow, 

And let me cease from sin. 

Remove this hardness from my heart, 

This unbelief remove ; 
To me the rest of faith impart, 

The sabbath of Thy love. 

Come Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 

And seal me Thine abode ! 
Let all I am in Thee be lost ; 

Let all be lost in God. 

He enjoys and exemplifies by his life, the 
wisdom that is from above, which comes from God, 
and teaches us to be humble and holy in all our 
conversation. Jas. 3:17. It is known and ex- 
pressed by several properties : it is pure, it makes 
him careful to avoid any defilement by sin and 
error, and to adhere both to truth and holiness. It 
is peaceable, it disposeth him to peace, both as the 
making and keeping it, so far as is consistent 
with purity, and may be done without sin. It is 
gentle, it disposes him to bear with the infirmities 
of others, to forgive injuries, to interpret all things 
for the best, to recede from his own right for peace 
sake. It is easy to be entreated, it makes him yield 
to the persuasions of the word, to good counsel, 
good reason. It is full of mercy, it causes him to 
pity others that are afflicted, or that offend. It is 
full of good fruits, of beneficence, liberality and 



30 



REPRESENTATION OF 



all other offices of humanity, which proceed from 
mercy. It is without partiality, he does not make 
a difference between person and person, upon car- 
nal accounts. It is also without hypocrisy, or coun- 
terfeiting, as they do that judge others, being guilty 
of the same things themselves ; he is unfeigned 
and sincere. 

If you would be established in Christian holiness, 
it will be necessary for you to believe, without 
wavering, the love of God towards you in Jesus 
Christ. 

"We have known," said the beloved disciple, 
" and believed the love that God hath to us ; for 
God is love." Frequently meditate upon the price 
paid for your redemption ; the long continued 
efforts of the Spirit to bring you from the ways of 
sin ; the blessings you have received, and are every 
hour receiving from above, and the prospects before 
you. Consider these things as the Spirit may lead 
you ; and then ask yourself, what am I, or what my 
father's house, that thou art so mindful of such an 
unworthy creature ? Look at His condescension 
and beneficence till you are ashamed to doubt. It 
is He that hath wrought this work of sanctification 
in your soul, and it is His good pleasure to bring 
you to His everlasting kingdom. As long as you 
firmly believe this, no fear can come near to harm 
you. While you see and know that the Lord with 
His "great and strong sword," rises against the 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



31 



"piercing, crooked serpent," and against all your 
enemies, from the great love wherewith He loveth 
you, nothing can make you afraid. And the 
stronger your confidence is in Him, the better will 
He be pleased with you and your services. 

As you must thus believe in what the Lord has 
wrought in you, if you would not be robbed of it, 
so you must live every moment by faith in your 
crucified Redeemer for what you want. "The life 
which I now live in the flesh," said St. Paul, "I 
live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, 
and gave Himself for me." Christ is the proper 
object of your faith. All your blessings are derived 
from Him, and faith must be considered as the hand 
that receives them. Your soul must feed upon 
Him ; you must spiritually eat His flesh, and drink 
His blood. Without it there can be no increase 
of spiritual life. If you would receive the benefits 
of His merit and intercession, it must be by faith. 
All the advantages arising from the offices He has 
taken upon Himself for you must be obtained in 
the same way. Hence you see the necessity of 
continually looking at Jesus. By faith the ancient 
worthies obtained the promises of their dispensa- 
tion ; and by faith you must expect the accomplish- 
ment of all the promises of the new covenant. By 
faith you must overcome the world, quench the 
fiery darts of the devil, and put to flight the temp- 
tations, sins and vanities which surround you. 



32 



REPRESENTATION OF 



Faith that works by love is the spring of obedience. 
It will enable you to give up your all to God, and to 
expect all from Him. It will deliver you from 
anxious thoughts concerning futurity ; you will be 
assisted to cast your care upon Him, and in every- 
thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiv- 
ing, to make your requests known to Him ; and His 
peace, which passeth understanding, shall keep 
your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. By faith 
you have access to the grace in which you now 
stand ; and every fresh supply must be obtained in 
the same way. In short, faith is an excellent gift 
of God ; and, if it be scripturally used, cannot be 
used too much. The faith that is here recom- 
mended is productive of all good works. Live, 
then, by the moment in Him who is "the Truth, 
the Life, and the Way and you shall prove the 
faithfulness of God, and be strengthened for every 
good word and work. The faith that produces 
this gives all the honor to Him to whom it is due, 
and takes nothing to itself; which appears to be 
the reason why the Lord puts such honor upon it. 
He that thus believes shall never be confounded. 
Though at first his appearance may be only as the 
dawning of the day, he soon shall be as "the sun 
when he goeth forth in his might." 

Reader ! hast thou been converted from the error 
of thy ways, hast thou known the love of God that 
passeth all understanding, if so, art thou pressing 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



33 



on to obtain all the fullness of God ? Search and 
inquire with holy fear, and with the greater dili- 
gence, whether you desire to love Him with all your 
heart. Have you chosen Him for your eternal por- 
tion, both in this world and that which is to come? 
Is your will firmly resolved for God and religion ? 
Are you willing to forsake every sin ? If you find 
these things wrought in you and done by you, you 
have abundant reason to take comfort in this evi- 
dence of your Christianity and love to God. 

Blest are the humble souls that see 
Their emptiness and poverty : 
Treasures of grace to them are given, 
And crowns of joy laid up in heav'n. 

Blest are the men of broken heart, 
Who mourn for sin with inward smart ; 
The blood of Christ divinely flows, 
A healing balm for all our woes. 

Blest are the meek who stand afar 
From rage and passion, noise and war : 
God will secure their happy state, 
And plead their cause against the great. 

Blest are the souls that thirst for grace, 
Hunger and long for righteousness ! 
They shall be well supplied and fed 
With living streams and living bread. 

Blest are the men whose bowels move, 
And melt with sympathy and love : 
From Christ the Lord they shall obtain 
Like sympathy and love again. 



REPRESENTATION OF 



Blest are the pure whose hearts are clean 
From the defiling power of sin : 
With endless pleasures they shall see 
A God of spotless purity. 

Blest are the men of peaceful life, 
Who quench the coals of growing strife : 
They shall be calPd the heirs of bliss, 
The sons of God, the God of peace. 

Blest are the suff'rers who partake 
Of pain and shame for Jesus' sake : 
Their souls shall triumph in the Lord, 
Glory and joy are their reward. 



Pictwe of a Heart in which the laws of God are 
engraven. Sin and Satan find no entrance into this 
Temple of love and peace. Outward storms cannot 
shake its foundation, for its graces are built upon the 
rock of ages. 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



35 



FIGURE V. 

PICTURE OF THE HEART OF A PERSON WHO IS 
WHOLLY SANCTIFIED TO GOD, AND FILLED WITH 
PERFECT LOVE. 

IN the picture of this heart, we see the situation 
of a man sanctified, and filled with perfect love 
to God and man. 

" The eyes of your understanding being enlight- 
ened ; that ye may know what is the hope of His 
calling, and what the riches of the glory of His 
inheritance in the saints." (Eph. I : 18). 

The Dove, signifying the Holy Spirit, has taken 
up His abode in this heart, and is shedding forth 
light, life and joy. The Holy Bible is seen there, 
signifying that He has taken that as the man of 
His counsel, and from this treasure to gather His 
weapons of spiritual warfare, against the world, the 
flesh and the devil. In this sacred volume, he sees 
everything necessary to guide both his faith and 
practice. There the precious promises of a faith- 
ful God are registered for his comfort, with many 



36 



REPRESENTATION OF 



a glorious view of the Almighty Promiser. And 
his motto is holiness to the Lord. The Angel is 
still about this happy soul, and in his hand holding 
an Olive Branch, signifying great peace have they 
that love Thy law, and nothing shall offend them. 

"The pure in heart " are they whose hearts God 
hath " purified even as He is pure who are puri- 
fied through faith in the blood of Jesus, from 
every unholy affection ; who being "cleansed from 
all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfect holiness in 
the (loving) fear of God." They are, through the' 
power of His grace, purified from pride, by the 
deepest poverty of spirit ; from anger, from every 
unkind or turbulent passion, by meekness and 
gentleness ; from every desire but to please and 
enjoy God, to know and love Him more and more 
by that hunger and thirst after righteousness, which 
now engrosses their whole soul ; so that now they 
love the Lord their God, with all their heart, and 
with all their soul, and mind and strength. 

Such is the purity of heart which God requires, 
and works on those who believe on the Son of His 
love. And blessed are they who are thus pure in 
heart, for they shall see God. He will " manifest 
Himself unto them," not only "as He doth not 
unto the world, " but as He doth not always to His 
own children. He will bless them with the clear- 
est communications of His spirit, the most inti- 
mate "fellowship with the Father and with the 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



37 



Son." He will cause His presence to go continu- 
ally before them, and the light of His countenance 
to shine upon them. It is the ceaseless prayer of 
their heart, " I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory :" 
and they have the petition they ask of Him. They 
now see Him by faith, (the veil of flesh being made, 
as it were, transparent,) even in these His lowest 
works, in all that surrounds them, in all that God 
has created and made. They see Him in the 
height above, and in the depth beneath ; they see 
Him filling all in all. 

The pure in heart see all things full of God. 
They see Him in the firmament of heaven, in the 
moon, walking in brightness, in the sun, when He 
rejoices as a giant to run His course. They see 
Him making the clouds His chariots, and walking 
upon the " wings of the wind." They see Him 
" preparing rain for the earth, and blessing the 
increase of it : giving grass for the cattle, and 
green herb for the use of man." They see the 
Creator of all, wisely governing all, and " uphold- 
ing all things by the word of His power." " O 
Lord ! our governor ! how excellent is Thy name in 
all the world ! " 

In all His providences relating to themselves, to 
their souls, or bodies, the pure in heart do more 
particularly see God. They see His hand ever over 
them for good, giving them all things in weight 
and measure, numbering the hairs of their head, 



38 



REPRESENTATION OF 



making a hedge round about them, and all that 
they have, and disposing all the circumstances of 
their life, according to the depth of His wisdom 
and mercy. 

But in a more especial manner they see God in 
His ordinances. Whether they appear in the great 
congregation, to "pay Him the honor due unto His 
name, and worship Him in the beauty of holiness 
or " enter into their closets/' and there pour out 
their souls before their "Father which is in 
secret whether they search the oracles of God, 
or hear the ambassadors of Christ proclaiming 
glad tidings of salvation ; or by eating of the 
bread, and drinking of that cup, " show forth His 
death till He come" in the clouds of heaven : in all 
His appointed ways, they find such a near approach 
as cannot be expressed. They see Him, as it were, 
face to face, and "talk with Him, as a man talketh 
with his friend a fit preparation for those man- 
sions above, wherein they shall see Him as He is. 

The Lord has graciously promised this great 
blessing; and what He has promised He will surely 
make good to you, "with all His heart and all His 
soul." Blessed are they that hunger and thirst 
after righteousness, for they shall be filled — 
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth 
not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. 
The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are 
the everlasting arms: and He shall thrust out the 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



39 



enemy from before thee ; and shall say, Destroy 
them. — I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, 
and floods upon the dry ground ; I will pour My 
Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thy 
offspring. — I will sprinkle clean water upon you, 
and ye shall be clean : from all your filthliness, and 
from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new 
heart also will I give you ; and a new spirit will I 
put within you : and I will take away the stony 
heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart 
of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, 
and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall 
keep My judgments and do them. — I will also save 
you from all your uncleannesses. — He shall save 
His people from their sins. — He will baptize you 
with the Holy Ghost and with fire." 

"LET ME DIE." 



God, my heart doth long for Thee, 

Let me die. 
Now set my soul at liberty, 

Let me die. 
To all the trifling things of earth, 
They're now to me of little worth ; 
My Savior calls, I'm going forth, 

Let me die. 

Thy slaying power in me display, 
Let me die. 

1 must be dead from day to day, 

Let me die. 



REPRESENTATION OF 



Unto the world and its applause, 
To all the customs, fashions, laws, 
Of those who hate the humbling cross, 
Let me die. 

My friends may say " I'll ruined be," 

Let me die. 
But all I leave and follow Thee, 

Let me die. 
Their arguments will never weigh, 
Nor stand the trying judgment day ; 
Help me to cast them all away, 

Let me die. 

Oh, I must die to scoffs and jeers, 

Let me die. 
I must be freed from slavish fears, 

Let me die. 
So dead that no desire shall rise 
To pass for good, or great, or wise, 
In any but my Savior's eyes : 

Let me die. 

If Christ would live and reign in me, 

I must die ; 
Like Him I crucified must be, 

I must die. 
Lord, drive the nails, nor heed the groans, 
My flesh may writhe and make its moans, 
But in this way and this alone, 

I must die. 

Begin at once to drive the nails, 

Let me die ; 
Oh, suffer not my heart to fail, 

Let me die. 
Jesus, I look to Thee for power, 
To help me to endure the hour 
When, crucified by sovereign power, 

I shall die. 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



When I am dead, then, Lord, to Thee 

I shall live ; 
My time, my strength, my all to Thee, 

Will I give. 
Oh, may the Son now make me free ! 
Here, Lord, I give my all to Thee, 
For time and for eternity 

I will live. 

The carnal mind once troubled me, 

But it died ; 
He sanctified and made me free, 

So it died. 
So dead that no desires arise 
To pass for good, or great, or wise, 
In any but my Savior's eyes, 

So I live. 



SAVED TO THE UTTERMOST. 

Thou, Lord, on whom I still depend, 
Shalt keep me faithful to the end 
I trust Thy truth, and love, and pow'r 
Shall save me till my latest hour ; 

And when I lay this body down, 
Reward with an immortal crown ! 
Jesus, in Thy great name I go, 
To conquer death, my final foe. 

And when I quit this cumb'rous clay, 
And soar on eagle's wings away, 
My soul the second death defies, 
And reigns eternal in the skies. 

Eye hath not seen, nor ear hath heard, 
What Christ hath for His saints prepar'd, 
Who conquer through their Savior's might 
Who rise into perfection's height. 



RE TRESIS N TA TION F 



Dost thou desire to know or see, 
What thy mysterious name shall be ? 
Receiving thy new name unknown, 
Thou read'st it wrote on the white stone. 

Then trample death beneath thy feet, 
And gladly die thy Lord to meet; 
Contending for thy heavenly home, 
Thy latest foe in death o'ercome. 



\ 



JVo. 6. 




The picture of a Heart 
which resists the temptations of the devil, the world and 
the flesh by those means which God has appointed. 

" Watch and pray, that ye be not led into temptation" 
u He that is faithful unto death shall receive the crown of life I " 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



43 



FIGURE VI. 

PICTURE OF A HEART ENJOYING PERFECT LOVE TO 
GOD AND MAN, AND RESISTING THE TEMPTATIONS 
OF THE DEVIL, WITH THE MARKS AND FRUITS OF 
HOLINESS. 

IN this picture of the heart, we see the angel 
still encouraging the soul of such a man, with 
the precious promises of God to perseverance and 
faithfulness ; also is seen the Scriptures which 
are read by him ; and the Dove, signifying the 
Holy Spirit ; the vine of grapes signifies fruit ; 
the devils are waiting round, presenting tempta- 
tions, but this soul is steadfastly resisting, and 
therefore is not overcome. " Sin and Satan find 
no entrance into this temple of love and peace ! 
Outward storms cannot shake its foundation, for 
its graces are built upon the rock of ages." 

The eye of his understanding continues open, 
and looking upwards, having for its object the 
Lord Jesus Christ, he steadily keeps looking by 
faith on Him whom his soul loves with a pure 
heart fervently. 



44 



REPRESENTATION OF 



It is very necessary that the evidence should be 
added to the work of sanctification, that he 
who has experienced that work may have the 
enjoyment of it. Without this, he would be like a 
person who should have a large estate fall to him ; 
but being ignorant of it, could not have the enjoy- 
ment and use of it, as though he knew it. The 
evidence of sanctification may be compared to the 
key stone which binds and strengthens an arch, or 
to the last touches of the pencil, which give a 
polish to the fair picture. We may suppose the 
work of sanctification, or cleansing from sin, to 
exist without the evidence, or to be distinct from 
it ; but it would be manifestly unsafe for anyone 
to rest without it. 

The fruits of the Spirit are those gracious 
habits which the Holy Spirit of God produces in 
those in whom He dwelleth and worketh, with those 
acts which flow from them as naturally as the tree 
produces its fruit. The apostle enumerates these 
fruits, in Gal. 5 : 22, 23. But the fruit of the Spirit 
is love, both to God and our neighbors ; joy, or a 
delight in God, arising from a sense of our interest 
in him ; peace with God, quietude of conscience, 
and a peaceable disposition towards men, as opposed 
to strife, variance, emulation, etc. Long suffering, 
patiently bearing and forgiving many provocations 
and injuries; this is opposed to a hastiness to 
revenge ; gentleness, or an affableness, an easiness 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



45 



to be entreated, when anyone has wronged us ; good- 
ness, kindness, friendliness, or readiness to do good 
to others ; faith, or faithfulness, to speak nothing 
but the truth, and to perform all our engagements ; 
meekness, forbearance of passion, rash anger and 
hastiness of spirit ; and temperance, or a curbing 
of all normal desires, and a sparing use of all sen- 
sual delights. 

It is true, many have thought they had the evi- 
dence of sanctification when they had it not, and 
have brought dishonor upon the profession of it. 
This was because they knew not what the evidence 
is. They judged by false marks. They had 
received a large measure of love, and were exceed- 
ingly joyful ; and' took these for an evidence of 
sanctification. Perhaps some, on slighter grounds 
still, have believed themselves sanctified. But it 
is not great love and joy, no, nor the feeling no sin 
added thereto, that will prove a person thoroughly 
sanctified ; because it is often the case that all these 
unite in the justified state. Where love and joy 
are, the motions of sin are, for the time being, 
suspended, though it remains in the heart. 

Tne evidence of sanctification is twofold, and 
results, first, from the witness of the Spirit of 
God ; and, secondly, from the nature of the work. 

First. From the witness of the Spirit of God. 
"We can know that we are sanctified no otherwise 
than we know we are justified." " Hereby know 



46 



REPRESENTATION OF 



we that we are of God," in either sense, "by the 
Spirit He hath given us." We know it by the 
"witness of the Spirit." As when we were justi- 
fied, " the Spirit bore witness with our spirit," that 
our sins were forgiven ; so when we were sancti- 
fied, He bore witness that depravity was taken 
away. Indeed, the witness of sanctification is not 
always clear at first (as neither is that of justifica- 
tion) ; neither is it afterwards always the same, but 
like that of justification, sometimes stronger and 
sometimes fainter. Yea, and sometimes it is with- 
drawn. Yet, in general, the latter testimony of the 
Spirit is both as clear and as steady as that of the 
former. 

" In the hour of temptation Satan clouds the 
work of God and injects various doubts and reason- 
ings, especially in those who have either very weak 
or very strong understandings. At such times there 
is absolute need of that witness, without which the 
work of sanctification not only could not be dis- 
cerned, but could not subsist. Were it not for 
this, the soul could not then abide in the love of 
God ; much less could it rejoice evermore, and in 
everything give thanks. In these circumstances, 
therefore, a direct testimony that we are sanctified, 
is necessary in the highest degree. And the fol- 
lowing Scriptures give reason to expect it : " We 
have received not the spirit of the world, but the 
Spirit which is of God, that we may k7iow the 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



47 



things which are freely given to us of God" (i 
Cor. 2 : 12. ) 

" Now, surely, sanctification is one of the things 
which are freely given to us of God. And no pos- 
sible reason can be assigned why this should be 
excepted, when the apostle says, 'We receive the 
Spirit/ for this very end, 'that we may know the 
things which are thus freely given us/ 

" Is not the same thing implied in that well- 
known Scripture, Rom. 8 : 16, ' The Spirit itself 
beareth witness with our spirit that we are the chil- 
dren of God' Does He only witness this to those 
who are children of God in the lowest sense? 
Nay, but to those also who are such in the highest 
sense. And does He not witness that they are 
such in the highest sense ? What reason have we 
to doubt it ? 

" Consider likewise, I John 5 : 19. ' We know 
that we are of God' Howf i By the Spirit that 
He has given us. y 1 John 3 : 24. Nay, i hereby we' 
know that He abideth in us. 9 And what ground 
have we either from Scripture or reason, to exclude 
the witness any more than the fruit of the Spirit 
from being here intended ? By this, then, also we 
know that we are of God, and in what sense we are 
so. Whether we are babes, young men, or fathers, 
we know in the same manner. 

" Not that I affirm that all young men, or even 
fathers, have this testimony every moment ; there 



48 



REPRESENTATION OF 



may be intermission of the direct testimony that 
they are thus born of God. But these intermis- 
sions are fewer and shorter as they grow up in 
Christ. And some have the testimony both of 
their justification and sanctification, without any 
intermission at all : which, I presume, more might 
have, did they walk as humbly and closely with 
God as they may." 

Secondly. The evidence of sanctification results 
from the nature of that state. And here two 
things may be noticed, the absence of sin and the 
fruits of the Spirit. 

i. The absence of sin. In the work of sancti- 
fication there is such a change wrought in all the 
affections and tempers of the mind, as effectually 
to do away with every root of bitterness, every evil 
propensity. Here let the person, who would ascer- 
tain his true state, take into view the process of the 
work he has experienced. Has he had a clear dis- 
covery of the depravity of his nature? Has he 
seen and lamented his unlikeness to God — his 
proneness to wander from God in his thoughts, 
words, tempers and actions ? Has he seen and 
bewailed the stubborness of his will, the hardness 
of his heart, his remaining unbelief, pride, anger, 
impatience and a thousand evils of his nature ? 
Has he fled from himself to the Savior for help ? 
And has he obtained help against all these? Has 
the Lord Jehovah come to his relief ? Are the 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



49 



evils under which he groaned, gone ? He says, I 
feel them not. But are they entirely destroyed or 
only suspended ? Here let him ask whether a 
sufficient length of time has elapsed since he felt 
them, to give them an opportunity to show them- 
selves. In particular, have those occasions and 
trials occurred which used to excite them ? And is, 
there no sense of self-will, self-applause, anger, 
impatience, etc., but, on the contrary, 2. all the 
fruits of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, always abiding 
unmixed ; — long-suffering, patience, resignation ; — 
gentleness, triumphing over all provocations ; — 
goodness, mildness, sweetness, tenderness of spirit ; 
— fidelity, simplicity, godly sincerity ; — meekness, 
calmness, evenness of spirit ; — temperance, not 
only in food and dri^k, but in all things temporal 
and spiritual ? If I say there are no motions of 
sin, but all the fruits of the Spirit continually 
present in the soul without opposition, then there 
is good reason to believe the work of sanctification 
is accomplished. But still this cannot be certainly 
known without the direct witness of the Spirit : 
that is, it cannot be certainly known that all sin is 
destroyed, and all the fruits of the Spirit are in 
the soul without alloy. As was observed above, 
Satan will at times so becloud the work of the 
Spirit by his temptations, as to create a doubt of 
the existence of this or that fruit of the Spirit. So, 
on the other hand, he will sometimes accuse the child 



50 



REPRESENTATION OF 



of God that he has sinned, that he has indulged 
some sinful desire or propensity : and he cannot 
always distinguish between temptation and sin 
unless he has the direct witness of the Spirit. 

" In some cases," says Mr. Wesley, " it is 
impossible to distinguish without the direct witness 
of the Spirit. But, in general, one may distinguish 
thus : 

" One commends me. Here is a temptation to 
pride ; but instantly my soul is humbled before God, 
and I feel no pride : of which I am as sure as I 
am that pride is not humility. 

" A man strikes me. Here is a temptation to 
anger. But my heart overflows with love, and I 
feel no anger at all ; of which I am as sure as I am 
that love and anger are not the same. 

" Thus it is if I am tempted by a present 
object ; and it is just the same, if, when it is 
absent, the devil recalls a commendation, an 
injury, etc., to my mind. In* the instant the soul 
repels the temptation, and remains filled with pure 
love. 

"And the difference is still plainer when I com- 
pare my present state with my past, wherein I felt 
temptation and corruption too." 

But still there will be many cases in which the 
child of God will not be able to distinguish with- 
out the direct witness of the Holy Spirit. And 
such a case is a painful one. It is painful to lie 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



51 



under an accusation of having offended God, and 
not know but it is true. And this is not only a 
case of pain, but of danger. There is danger of 
his losing his confidence, becoming perplexed, and 
falling into darkness, if not into despair and open 
sin. 

The witness of the Spirit is, therefore, to be very 
highly esteemed, and diligently sought after ; and 
knowing that it is the will of God that we should 
have it, we may come boldly, and ask and receive, 
that our joy may be full. 

Be careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit, by 
which you are sealed to the day of redemption. 
The more He has done for you, the more studious 
you should be to please Him. You should attend 
to every command, and observe every duty. The 
least violation of the law of love, through indiffer- 
ence or neglect, the least rejection, or misim- 
provement of grace, is displeasing to Him. An 
unguarded word, or an improper thought or temper, 
will be sufficient to bring a cloud upon your mind, 
weaken your desires after higher attainments, sen- 
sibly damp your fervor, and cause you grief and 
dissatisfaction. There must be close walking with 
your Lord if you intend to have the witness that 
you please Him ; for He has no pleasure in foolish- 
ness. You are a steward, not a proprietor, of your 
Lord's goods. He will come at last and reckon 
with you. You are accountable to Him for time, 



52 



REPRESENTATION OF 



privileges, talents, mercies, helps and opportunities. 
Aim to be altogether a Christian. Follow the 
apostle's advice : " Giving all diligence, add to your 
faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to 
knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, 
and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly 
kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity/' Let 
your eye be single, doing all as unto the Lord ; 
and the Spirit of holiness will not fail to comfort, 
strengthen and direct your soul. 

Study the Scriptures. That blessed book carries 
its own evidence along with it, and you will find 
its excellences continually increasing upon your 
view. You will there trace the characters of the 
saints — their virtues and defects, and the graces 
for which they were most eminent. By this means 
you may learn how to distrust yourself and trust 
to the Lord ; how to avoid their weaknesses, and 
the rocks against which some of them struck ; and 
how to glorify God by the strictest conformity to 
His will. 

There you may trace, through successive ages, 
the power and providence of God towards His 
people, the support afforded them in trouble, the 
deliverances wrought for them, and the miserable 
end of their enemies and persecutors. 

You may there behold the once happy state 
of man, the effects of his rebellion, the divine 
procedure in his restoration, together with the 



THE HEART OF MAN, 



53 



innumerable witnesses of His power to save to the 
uttermost. 

In this unsullied mirror, a steady faith may 
apprehend the distant splendors of the everlasting 
habitations ; and, for the quickening of your dili- 
gence, it affords a view of the infernal pit, the 
abode of devils, and of all that denied " the Lord 
that bought them," or " received His grace in 
vain." 

Your Lord has commanded you to search the 
Scriptures. They are able to make you wise unto 
salvation through faith in Him. They were given 
"by inspiration of God, and are profitable for doc- 
trine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in 
righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, 
thoroughly furnished unto all good works." What- 
ever books you read, let the Bible be one. Meditate 
therein, till its end is answered in your complete 
salvation. 

Ye who know your sins forgiven, 

And are happy in the Lord, 
Have you read that gracious promise 

Which is left upon record ? 
I will sprinkle you with water, 

I will cleanse you from all sin, 
Sanctify and make you holy, 

I will dwell and reign within. 

Though you have much peace and comfort, 

Greater things you yet may find ; 
Freedom from unholy tempers, 

Freedom from the carnal mind. 



REPRESENTATION OF 



To procure your perfect freedom, 
Jesus suffer'd, groan' d and died; 

On the cross the healing fountain 
Gushed from His wounded side. 

O ye tender babes in Jesus, 

Hear your Heavenly Father's will ; 
Claim your portion, plead His promise 

And He quickly will fulfill. 
Pray, and the refining fire 

Will come streaming from above ; 
Now believe and gain the blessing, 

Nothing less than perfect love. 

If you have obtained this treasure, 

Search and you shall surely find 
All the Christian marks and graces 

Planted, growing in your mind. 
Perfect faith and perfect patience, 

Perfect lowliness, and then 
Perfect hope and perfect meekness, 

Perfect love for God and man. 

But be sure to gain the witness 

Which abides both day and night ; 
This your God has plainly promised, 

This is like a stream of light. 
While you keep the blessed witness, 

All is clear and calm within ; 
God Himself assures you by it 

That your heart is cleans'd from sin. 

Be as holy, and as happy, 

And as useful here below, 
As it is your Father's pleasure, 

Jesus, only Jesus know. 
Spread, O spread the holy fire, 

Tell, O tell what God has done, 
Till the nations are conformed 

To the image of His Son, 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



Witnesses might be produced 

Of this glorious work of love, 
Paul and James, and John and Peter, 

Long before they went above. 
Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands 

Have, and do, and will appear ; 
Let me ask the solemn question : 

Has the Lord a witness here ? 

Wake up, brother ! wake up, sister ! 

Seek, O seek this holy state; 
None but holy ones can enter 

Thro' the pure celestial gate. 
Can you bear the thought of losing 

All the joys that are above ? 
No, my brother, no, my sister, 

God will perfect you in love. 

May a mighty sound from heaven 

Suddenly come rushing down, 
Cloven tongues like as of fire, 

May they sit on all around. 
O may every soul be filled 

With the Holy Ghost to-day; 
It is coming, it is coming, 

O prepare, prepare the way. 



56 



REPRESENTATION OF 



FIGURE VII. 

PICTURE OF THE HEART OF A PERSON WHOSE 
SPIRITUAL LIFE HAS, IN A MEASURE, BECOME 
DEAD, AND WHO IS BEGINNING TO BACKSLIDE. 

IN this heart you merely see the Cross, signifying 
there is yet some regard for Christ, and an 
outward profession of His religion, while Satan is 
by degrees entering into his old habitation. The 
eye of his understanding now begins to close on 
things spiritual, and the , carnal eye of his mind 
is awake, and begins to look on the world with a 
desire to enjoy the same. The Holy Spirit, repre- 
sented in this plate by the angel, is not willing to 
leave, is entreating him to be watchful, and 
strengthen the things which remain, that are ready 
to die ; I would that thou wert either cold or hot, 
for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 
Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and 
heard ; and hold fast and repent. 

There can be no point of greater importance to 
him who knows that it is the Holy Spirit which 
leads us into all truth and into all holiness, than to 



No. 7. 




Picture of a Heart having the form of religion, but 
denying the power thereof, whose Faith is dead, whose 
love has become cold speculation and theory. Again the 
Adversary renews his temptations, and if they should be 
listened to the latter end of this heart is worse than its 
beginning. 

" Having a name to live, but is dead" 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



57 



consider with what temper of soul we are to enter- 
tain His Divine Presence, so as neither to drive 
Him from us or to disappoint Him of the gracious 
ends for which His abode with us is designed, 
which is not the amusement of our understanding, 
but the conversion and entire sanctification of our 
hearts and lives. 

The words of the apostle contain a most serious 
and affectionate exhortation to this purpose, 
" Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye 
are sealed to the day of redemption." 

We are said to grieve the Holy Spirit by our 
sins, because of His immediate presence with us. 
They are more directly committed under His eye- 
and are, therefore, more highly offensive to Him. 
He is pleased to look upon professing Christians as 
more peculiarly separated to His honor : nay, we 
are so closely united to Him that we are said to be 
"one spirit with Him," and, therefore, every sin, 
which we now commit, besides it own proper guilt, 
carries in it a fresh and infinitely high provocation. 
"Know ye not your own selves," saith St. Paul, 
"that your bodies are the temples of the Holy 
Ghost? " And how are they so, but by His inhabita- 
tion and ultimate presence with our souls. When, 
therefore, we set up the idols of earthly inclinations 
in our hearts, (which are properly His altar,) and 
bow down ourselves to serve those vicious passions, 
which we ought to sacrifice to His will, this must 



58 



REPRESENTATION OE 



needs be, in the highest degree, offensive and 
grievous to Him. "For what concord is there 
between • the Holy Spirit and Belial ? Or what 
agreement hath the temple of God with idols? " 

We grieve the Holy Spirit by our sins, because 
they are so many contempts of the highest expres- 
sion of His love, and disappoint Him in His last 
remedy, whereby He is pleased to endeavor our 
recovery. And thus every sin we now commit is 
done in despite of all His powerful assistances, in 
defiance of His reproofs : an ungrateful return for 
infinite loving-kindness. 

But if arguments of this kind are not strong- 
enough to keep us from grieving our best friend, 
the Holy Spirit of God, let us consider that by this 
ungrateful conduct, we shall provoke Him to with- 
draw from us. 

And the more frequently we offend Him, the 
more we weaken His influences in our souls. For 
frequent breaches will necessarily occasion es- 
trangement between us ; and it is impossible that 
our intercourse with Him can be cordial, when 
it is disturbed by repeated interruptions. So a 
man will forgive his friend a great many impru- 
dences, and some willful transgressions ; but to find 
him frequently affronting him, all his kindness 
will wear off by degrees, and the warmth of his 
affection, even towards him who had once the 
greatest share of it, will die away ; as he cannot 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



59 



but think that such a one does not any longer 
either desire, or deserve to maintain a friendship 
with him. 

There are many persons, who, in the main of 
their lives, are regular in their conversation, and 
observe the means of improvement, and attend 
upon the holy sacrament with exactness, who yet, 
in the intervals of their duties, give too great 
liberty to their thoughts, affections and discourse; 
they seem to adjourn the great business of salva- 
tion to the next hour of devotion. If these pro- 
fessors lose so much in their spiritual estate for 
want of adjusting and balancing their accounts, 
what, then, must we think of those who scarce ever 
bestow a serious thought upon their eternal wel- 
fare? Surely, there is not any temper of mind 
less a friend to the spirit of religion than a thought- 
less and inconsiderate one, that by a natural suc- 
cession of strong and vain affections, shuts out 
everything useful from their souls, till at length 
they are overtaken by a fatal lethargy ; they lose 
sight of all danger, and become insensible of 
divine convictions ; and, in consequence, quite 
disappoint all the blessed means of restoration. 
If, therefore, we measure the Holy Spirit's con- 
cern at the sins of men by the degrees of His 
disappointment, we may conclude, that there is no 
state of mind that grieves Him more, unless that 
of actual wickedness. 



60 



REPRESENTATION OF 



Never be easy, or at rest, therefore, if you find 
your love to God flag and languish ; for then the 
other affections will grow cold and lifeless in 
religion. Watch carefully against the too strong 
attachment of your affections to creatures. Re- 
member that this world is at enmity with God. 
James 4 : 4. " If any man love the world, the love 
of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2: 15.) 
Where the love of the world is habitually preva- 
lent, the love of God is not found ; for God is the 
supreme good, and the most lovely of beings, and 
He counts that love as nothing which is not 
supreme. "No man can serve two masters, you 
cannot serve God and mammon" (Matt. 6: 25.) 
That is the true God, and the god of riches ; and 
we may say by the same rule, you cannot love the 
true God, and the god of honor and ambition, or 
the god of sensuality and carnal pleasure. A God 
carries a supreme idea, and demands all the soul. 

Not only unlawful objects and sinful pleasures, 
but even sensible delights, possessions and enjoy- 
ments, which are lawful, take too fast hold on the 
heart, and draw it away from God. Remember 
that the creatures around you have this advantage, 
that while God is a spirit, an unseen being, the 
creatures are ever striking upon our eyes or ears ; 
they are ever making their court to our senses and 
appetites, and have a thousand ways to insinuate 
themselves into the heart. The world, and the 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



61 



flattering enjoyments of it, are suited to work upon 
flesh and blood, and to draw off the soul from 
God, its center and its rest : they are ever near at 
hand on all occasions, and they are ready some- 
times to say, " Where is your God ? " Keep your 
God, therefore, always near you, and watch against 
the pleasing flattery of alluring creatures, lest 
your heart cleave too fast to them, and be thereby 
divided from your God. 

Reader, is thy soul in such a state as my picture 
represents ? If so, I would ask thee what are the 
causes which produce this effect ? Has not pride 
had too much in your heart ? Have you not some- 
times been ready to think yourself possessed of 
more religion than you really had ? And have you 
not been in danger of thinking more highly of 
yourself on account of this your piety, and of 
undervaluing others to the feeding of your own 
vanity ? Have you not often set too great a value 
upon your person, gifts and abilities ? Can you 
enumerate the vain thoughts which have lodged 
within you ? Have you not in many things (and 
those of no great moment) been too stiff and 
opinionated ? Have you not gloried too much in 
your friends, relations and possessions ? Have 
you not occasionally made too splendid a show of 
your natural, spiritual and intellectual riches or 
gifts? Has not finer or better apparel made you 
look for more respect from others, or think much 



02 



REPRESENTATION OF 



more highly of yourself? Has not this subtle 
pride mixed itself with your secret thoughts, your 
conversations with your friends, and even your 
devotional exercises ? To follow this evil through 
all its aspirings, boastings, inventions, conceits, 
arrogance, and scornftilness, would be difficult in- 
deed. How true, then, is that saying, " A man's 
pride shall bring him low;" for so long as the heart 
is not purified from this evil, it cannot be advanced 
high in the estimation of heaven ? 

Have you not felt also much of the workings of 
unbelief, as another cause ? After the clearest 
and most delightful discoveries of your Redeemers 
love, have you not been ready to question it ? 
Would not something in your heart, if submitted 
to, cause you to discredit many of the revealed 
truths of God ? Have you not been too apt to dis- 
trust others, placing less confidence in them than 
you ought ; though you had not the least reason 
for so doing ? Are you not sometimes inclined to 
doubt the care of Divine Providence, and to fear 
that you will one day be forgotten of God ? Have 
you not sometimes been ready to question the 
being or attributes of God, the truth of the Chris- 
tian dispensation, — and the reality of grace in 
your own heart ? 

While unbelief thus lurks in the heart, will it 
not produce a most plentiful crop of doubts, fears, 
suppositions, suspenses, unprofitable reasonings, 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



63 



fruitless speculations, and idle and perplexing 
thoughts, till the precious grace of God is well-nigh 
choked; till peace and joy have well-nigh taken 
their flight ; and the heart is filled with hardness, 
the tongue with complainings, and the life with 
ttnfruitfulness ? 

Whenever you find a tempting creature taking 
too fast hold of your passions, set a guard of sacred 
jealousy upon it; keep your heart at a distance 
from that creature, lest it twine about your inmost 
powers, and draw them off from their allegiance 
and duty to God your Creator. The love of 
God is a flower of divine original, and of the 
growth of paradise : if the Holy Spirit has planted 
it in your heart, let not any other love be planted 
too near it, nor too much nourished, lest it draw 
away the vital moisture, and cause the love of God 
to languish and wither. 

Depth of mercy ! can there be 
Mercy still reserv'd for me ? 
Can my God His wrath forbear ? 
Me, the chief of sinners, spare ? 

I have long withstood His grace ; 
Long provok'd Him to His face ; 
Would not hearken to His calls ; 
Griev'd Him by a thousand falls. 

Kindled His relentings are, 
Me, He now delights to spare ; 
Cries, " How shall I give thee up ? " 
Lets the lifted thunder drop. 



64 



REPRESENTATION OF 



There for me the Savior stands, 

Shows His wounds and spreads His hands ; 

God is love ! I know, I feel ! 

Jesus weeps and loves me still. 

Jesus, answer from above, 
Is not all Thy nature love ? 
Wilt Thou not the wrong forget ? 
Suffer me to kiss Thy feet ? 

Now incline me to repent ! 
Let me now my fall lament ! 
Now my foul revolt deplore ! 
Weep, believe, and sin no more. 



JVo. 8. 




Picture of a Heart relapsed into sin, which has 
grieved the Holy Spirit, and crucified the Lord of Glory 
afresh. 

"It were better not to have known the way of righteousness 
than after having knozvn the holy commandment to turn from it. 
It is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted 
the good word of God and the power of the world to come if they 
shall fall away to renew the??i again." 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



65 



FIGURE VIII. 

PICTURE OF THE HEART OF A PERSON WHO, AFTER 
HIS CONVERSION, HAS BACKSLIDDEN FROM GOD, 
AND SUFFERS SATAN TO REIGN IN HIM. 

THIS heart cannot be better described than in 
our Lord's own words : " When the unclean 
spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry 
places ; seeking rest, and finding none, he saith, I 
will return unto my house ivhence I came out. And 
when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 
Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits 
more wicked than himself ; and they enter in, and 
dwell there : and the last state of that man is worse 
than the first!' (Luke n : 24, 25, 26.) Also in 
the words of St. Peter : " For if after they have es- 
caped the pollution of the world through the knowl- 
edge of the L ord and Savior J e sits Christ, they are 
again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter 
end is worse with them than the beginning. For 
it had been better for them not to have known the 
way of righteousness, than after they have known 



66 



REPRESENTATION OF 



it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered 
unto them. But it is happened unto them according 
to the true proverb. The dog is turned to his own 
vomit again; and, The sow that was washed, to 
her wallowing in the mire" (2 Pet. 2 : 20, 21, 22.) 

The Holy Spirit is grieved, and has departed; 
the angel is about withdrawing, and with clasped 
and uplifted hands he cries: " How shall I give thee 
up ? " 

This man did receive the " heavenly gift." He 
did "taste of the powers of the world to come." He 
saw "the light of the glory of God, in the face of 
Jesus Christ." The "peace which passeth all un- 
derstanding did rule his heart and mind ; and the 
love of God was shed abroad therein by the Holy 
Ghost, which was given unto him." Yet he is 
now weak as another man. He again relishes the 
things of earth, and has more taste for the things 
which are seen than for those which are not seen. 
The eye of his understanding is closed again, so 
that he cannot " see Him that is invisible." His 
love is waxed cold, and the peace of God no longer 
rules in his heart. And no marvel ; for he again 
has given place to the devil, and grieved the Holy 
Spirit of God. He has turned again unto folly, to 
some pleasing sin, if not in outward act, yet in 
heart. He has given place to pride, ang£r, self- 
will, or stubbornness. He did not stir up the gift 
of God which was in him ; he gave way to spiritual 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



67 



sloth, and would not be at the pains of " praying 
always, and watching thereunto with all persever- 
ance. ,, That is, he made shipwreck of the faith, 
for want of self-denial, and " taking up his cross 
daily." 

How often do the cares of common life crowd 
out his duties ! Ah ! many a time the hour of 
prayer arrives — and passes onward, the witness of 
his neglect. The slightest pretext satisfies his 
offended conscience, and justifies his conduct to 
himself. The eye of vigilance is closed, the adver- 
sary approaches unperceived, and the well-laid snare 
entangles his unsuspecting feet. He seldom re- 
tires from the busy world to shut himself up in the 
thoughtfulness of holy meditation. The " law of 
the Lord" is not his "delight:" it is not his 
"meditation all the day." Alas! his careless eye 
seldom rests on its sacred page : it lies by, neglec- 
ted and forgotten, and is made to yield its place to 
the frothy productions of sinful men. If he reads, 
it is not that its truth may probe his heart ; that its 
promises may strengthen his faith; or that the 
glorious prospects which it opens, may gladden and 
encourage his soul. He practices not those lessons 
of ennobling charity which it teaches. His feet 
pursue not those paths which lead to the abodes of 
sorrow : he visits not the " fatherless and the 
widow in their affliction : " he becomes no angel of 
mercy to the sick and dying. His fertile heart in- 



68 



REPRESENTATION OF 



vents the ready and specious excuse, and the 
neglect of these imperious duties gives him no re- 
morse. In his own dwelling there is no family- 
devotion, no family instruction, though his children 
are perishing through " lack of knowledge the 
love of this world has led his captive feet with ease 
into the fowler's snare. Oh ! what an opiate to his 
soul to lull it into the deep sleep of spiritual death ! 
What a leaden weight to his faith, to drag it down 
from God ! what a darkening veil, to hide with 
fatal success from his eyes, every soul-cheering 
glory of the heavenly world. 

Reader, is the above a description of thy charac- 
ter before God? If so, " Arise, thou sleeper, and 
call on thy God," repent, and confess thy sins 
before Him, and forsake the same, and through 
the merits of Christ thOu mayest find mercy, in 
the forgiveness of thy sins, and in the healing of 
thy backslidings, so thou mayest again be restored 
to what thy soul has lost. " His arm is not short- 
ened that it cannot save, neither is His ear heavy, 
that it cannot hear ; He is stronger than all your 
enemies ; He can bind them, and cast them out 
and set you at perfect liberty again. 

Ah ! where am I now ? 

When was it, or how, 
That I fell from my heaven of grace ? 

I am brought into thrall ; 

I am stript of my all ; 
I am banish'd from Jesus's face ! 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



Hardly yet do I know 
How I let my Lord go, 

So insensibly starting aside ; 

When the tempter came in 
With his own subtle sin, 

And infected my spirit with pride. 

But I felt it too soon, 
That my Savior was gone, 

Swiftly vanishing out of my sight ; 
My triumph and boast 
On a sudden were lost, 

And my day it was turn'd into night. 

Only pride could destroy 

That innocent joy, 
And make my Redeemer depart ; 

But whate'er was the cause, 

I lament the sad loss, 
For the veil has come over my heart. 

Ah ! wretch that I am ! 

I can only exclaim, 
Like a devil tormented within : 

My Savior is gone, 

And has left me alone 
To the fury of Satan and sin. 

Nothing now can relieve ; 

Without comfort I grieve ; 
I have lost all my peace and my power 

No access do I find 

To the friend of mankind; 
I can ask for His mercy no more. 

Tongue cannot declare 

The torment I bear, 
(While no end of my troubles I see ;) 

Only Adam could tell 

On the day that he fell, 
And was turned out of Eden like me. 



70 



REPRESENTATION OF 



Driven out from my God, 

I wander abroad, 
Through a desert of sorrows I rove : 

How great is my pain 

That I cannot regain 
My Eden of Jesus's love ! 

I never shall rise 

To my first paradise, 
Or come my Redeemer to see ; 

But I feel a faint hope, 

That at last He will stoop, 
And His pity shall bring Him to me. 



Mo. 9. 




The picture of a Heart whose passions have been 
subdued by Philosophy. 

" Behold all ye that kindle a light that compass yourselves 
about with sparks, walk in the light ye have created and in the 
sparks ye have kindled, this ye have at mine hand, ye shall lie down 
in sorrow." — Isaiah 50: n. 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



71 



FIGURE IX. 

PICTURE OF THE HEART OF A PERSON WHOSE 
PASSIONS ARE SUBJECTED BY PHILOSOPHY. 

IN this heart is represented, by the figures being 
chained, that this man has his passions in sub- 
jection, at his control, and trusting his philosophy 
will pass him to heaven and happiness forever; 
the Dove, signifying the Holy Spirit, is hovering 
about his heart, and calling on him to give it up 
to God. 

Philosophy is, indeed, the noblest stretch of intel- 
lect which God has vouchsafed to man ; and it is 
only when man forgets that he received his reason- 
ing powers from God, that he is in danger of losing 
himself in darkness when he sought for light. To 
measure that which is infinite is as impossible in 
metaphysics as in physics. If it had not been for 
revelation, we should have known no more of the 
Deity than the heathen philosophers knew before : 
and to what did their knowledge amount ? They 
felt the necessity of a First Cause, and they saw 



72 



REPRESENTATION OF 



that that Cause must be intrinsically good; but 
when they came to systems, they never went 
further than the point from which they first set 
out, that evil is not good, and good is not evil. 
The Gnostics thought to secure the triumph of 
their scheme by veiling its weaker points in mys- 
tery, and by borrowing a part from almost every 
system. But popular, and even successful, as this 
attempt may have been, we may say with truth, 
that the scheme which flattered the vanity of 
human wisdom, and which strove to conciliate all 
opinions, has died away, and is forgotten ; while 
the gospel, the unpresuming, the uncompromising 
doctrine of the gospel, aided by no human wisdom, 
and addressing itself not merely to the head, but 
to the heart, has triumphed over all systems and 
all philosophers ; and still leads its followers to that 
true knowledge which some have endeavored to 
teach " after the tradition of men, after the rudi- 
ments of the world, and not after Christ." The 
apostle condemns this philosophy, first, because it 
is empty and deceitful, " promising happiness, but 
giving none." Second, because it was grounded, 
not on solid reason, but the traditions of men, 
Zeno, Epicurus and the rest : and, third, because 
it was shallow and superficial, not advancing beyond 
the knowledge of sensible things ; no, not beyond 
the first rudiments of them. 

Also when he came to Athens, he there found 



THE HEART OE MAN. 



73 



Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, who made a jest 
of his discourses : and no wonder, seeing they placed 
the chief happiness in pleasure, and denied the 
providence of God. Acts 17:18. As to the effects of 
Christianity, they have been and still are consider- 
able, and afford at least a collateral proof of the 
superiority and excellence of the system. Desti- 
tute of all human advantages, protected by no 
authority, assisted by no art, not recommended 
by the reputation of its authors, not enforced by 
eloquence in its advocates, the word of God grew 
mightily, and prevailed. Twelve men, poor, art- 
less and illiterate, we behold triumphing over the 
fiercest and most determined opposition ; over the 
tyranny of the magistrate, and the subtleties of 
the philosopher; over the prejudice of the Gentile, 
and the bigotry of the Jew. 

The religion of Jesus trampled over the philos- 
ophy of the world, the arguments of the subtle, 
the discourses of the gloquent, the power of prin- 
ces, the interest of states, the inclination of nature, 
the blindness of zeal, the force of custom, the so- 
licitation of passions, the pleasure of sin, and the 
busy arts of the devil. 

Reader ! God, the glorious maker and supporter 
of all things, by whose providence we are sustained, 
and by whose grace we are redeemed, is the only 
God we should acknowledge and worship ; He alone 
is to be feared, loved, honored and obeyed ; and 



74 



REPRESENTATION OF 



all other beings, in heaven, earth, or hell, are to be 
considered as nothing, and totally disregarded, in 
comparison with Him. And the worship we pay 
Him must not be dead, formal and hypocritical ; 
but sincere, fervent, spiritual, grateful, and such 
as He requires in His holy word. All, therefore, 
who forget, neglect, despise, and hate Him ; all 
who forsake His ordinances, and refuse to pray to 
Him, to praise and love Him ; all who offer Him 
mere lip-service, and draw near to Him in person, 
while their hearts are far from Him ; all who 
neglect to read or hear His holy word, that they 
may know His will and do it ; and all who do not 
give their hearts to Him, are breakers of His com- 
mandments. And now I leave you to judge 
whether you are guilty or not guilty. 

My gracious, loving Lord, 

To Thee what shall I say? 
Well may I tremble at Thy word, 

And scarce presume to pray 
Yet, Lord, well might I fear, 

Fear e'en to ask Thy grace ; 
So oft have I, alas ! drawn near, 

And mock'd Thee to Thy face. 

Nigh with my lips I drew ; 

My lips were all unclean : 
Thee with my heart I never knew ; 

My heart was full of sin : 
Far from the living Lord, 

As far as hell from heaven ; 
Thy purity I still abhorr'd, 

Nor look'd to be forgiven. 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



75 



My nature I obey'd ; 

My own desires pursu'd : 
And still a den of thieves I made 

The hallow'd house of God. 
In fig leaves I appear'd ; 

Nor with my form would part, 
But still retain'd a conscience sear'd, 

A hard, deceitful heart. 



76 



REPRESENTATION OF 



DIRECTIONS FOR KEEPING THE HEART. 

KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE, FOR OUT 
OF IT ARE THE ISSUES OF LIFE. — PROV. 4 I 2$. 

THE heart of man is his worst part before it be 
regenerated and sanctified, and the best 
afterwards; it is the seat of principles, and the 
fountain of actions. The eye of God is, and the 
eye of the Christian ought to be, principally fixed 
upon it. 

The greatest difficulty in conversion is to win 
the heart to God ; and the greatest difficulty after 
conversion is to keep the heart with God. Here 
lies the very force and stress of religion ; here is 
that which makes the way to life a narrow way, 
and the gate of heaven a straight gate. To keep 
the heart, necessarily supposes a previous work of 
grace, which has set the heart right, by giving it a 
new spiritual inclination ; for as long as the heart 
is not set right by grace, as to its habitual frame, 
no means can keep it right with God. Self is the 
poise of the unregenerated heart, which biases 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



11 



and moves it in all its designs and actions ; and as 
long as it is so, it is impossible that any external 
means could keep it with God. 

Man, by creation, was of one constant, uniform 
frame of spirit, held one straight and even course ; 
not one thought or faculty was disordered ; his 
mind had a perfect knowledge of the requirements 
of God ; his will a perfect compliance therewith ; 
all his appetites and powers stood in a most obedi- 
ent subordination. 

Man, by degeneration, is become a most dis- 
ordered and rebellious creature, opposing his 
Maker, as the First Cause, by self-dependence ; as 
the Chief Good, by self-love ; as the Highest Lord, 
by self-will ; and as the Last End, by self-seeking. 
Thus he is quite disordered, and all his actions are 
irregular. His once illuminated understanding is 
now clouded with ignorance ; his once complying 
will is now full of rebellion and stubbornness ; his 
once subordinate powers have now cast off the 
dominion of the superior faculties. But, by 
regeneration and sanctification this disordered soul 
is set aright again ; securing, as the Scripture 
expresses it, the renovation of the soul after the 
image of God, in which self-dependence is removed 
by faith ; self-love, by the love of God ; self-will, 
by subjection and obedience to the will of God; 
and self-seeking, by self-denial. The darkened 
understanding is again illuminated, the refractory 



78 



REPRESENTATION OF 



will sweetly subjected, the rebellious appetites 
conquered. Thus the soul which sin had univer- 
sally depraved, is by grace restored. This being 
pre-supposed, it will not be difficult to apprehend 
what it is to keep the heart, which is nothing but 
the constant care and diligence of such a renezved 
and sanctified man, to preserve his soul in that holy 
frame to which grace has raised it. For though 
grace has rectified the soul, and given it an 
habitual heavenly temper, yet temptation seeks to 
decompose it again ; so that even a gracious heart 
is like a musical instrument, which, though it be 
exactly tuned, a small matter brings it out of tune 
again ; yea, hang it aside but a little, and it will 
need setting again before another lesson can be 
played upon it. Every duty needs a particular 
preparation of the heart. "If thou prepare thine 
heart and stretch out thine hands towards Him," 
etc. To keep the heart, then, is carefully to 
preserve it from sin, which disorders it : and 
maintain that spiritual and gracious frame, which 
fits it for a life of communion with God. 

This includes in it six particulars. 

I. Frequent observation of the frame of the 
heart. Carnal and formal persons take no heed to 
this ; they cannot be brought to confer with their 
own hearts : there are some people who have lived 
forty or fifty years in the world, and have had 
scarcely one hours discourse with their own 



• 



THE HEART OF MAN. 79 

hearts. It is a hard thing to bring a man and 
himself together on such business ; but saints 
know those soliloquies to be very salutary. The 
heathen could say, " The soul is made wise by 
sitting still in quietness/' Though bankrupts care 
not to look into their books of account, yet up- 
right hearts will know whether they go backward 
or forward. " I commune with mine own heart," 
says David. The heart can never be kept until 
its case be examined and understood. 

II. It includes deep humiliation for possible 
slips and falls. Upon this account many an 
upright heart has been laid low before God. 
It is with the heart well kept as it is with 
the eye ; if a small dust get into the eye, 
it will never cease twinkling and watering till it 
has wept it out : so the upright heart cannot be at 
rest till it has wept out its troubles and poured 
out its complaints before the Lord. 

III. It includes earnest supplication and instant 
prayer for purifying and rectifying grace when 
conscious of a mistep, and constant cry for keeping 
power. When they are praying for outward 
mercies, perhaps their spirits may be more remiss ; 
but when it comes to the heart's case, they extend 
their spirits to the utmost, fill their mouths with 
arguments, weep and make supplication : " O for 
a stronger heart ! O for a heart to love God more ! 
to hate sin more ; to walk more evenly with God. 



80 



REPRESENTATION OF 



Lord, deny not to me such a heart, whatever Thou 
deny me : give me a heart to fear Thee, to love and 
delight in Thee, if I beg my bread in desolate 
places." 

" O for a heart to praise my God, 
A heart from sin set free ; 
A heart that always feels Thy blood, 
So freely spilt for me." 

It is observed of an eminent saint, that when 
praying for any spiritual mercy, he would never 
give over that suit, till he had obtained some 
relish of that mercy. 

IV. It includes the imposing of strong engage- 
ments upon ourselves to walk more carefully with 
God, and avoid the occasions whereby the heart 
may be induced to sin. "I have made a covenant 
with mine eyes," says Job. By this means holy 
men have strengthened their souls and preserved 
themselves from defilement. 

V. It includes a constant and holy jealousy over 
our own hearts. Quick-sighted self-jealousy is 
an excellent preservative from sin. He that will 
keep his heart, must have the eyes of the soul 
awake, and open upon all the stirrings of his affec- 
tions ; if the affections break loose, and the 
passions be stirred, the soul must discover it, and 
fly instantly to the blood of cleansing. Happy is 
the man that thus feareth always. By this fear of 
the Lord it is that men depart from evil, shake off 



THE HEART OF MAN, 



81 



security, and preserve themselves from iniquity. 
He that will keep his heart must eat and drink 
with fear, rejoice with fear, and pass the whole 
time of his sojourning here in fear. All this is 
little enough to keep the heart from sin. 

VI. It includes the realizing of God's presence 
with us, and setting the Lord always before us. 
This the people of God have found a powerful 
means of keeping their hearts upright. When 
the eye of our faith is fixed upon the eye of God's 
omniscience, we dare not let out our thoughts 
and affections to vanity. Holy Job durst not 
suffer his heart to yield to an impure, vain thought ; 
and what was it that moved him to so great cir- 
cumspection ? He tells us, "Doth not He see my 
ways, and count all my steps ? " 

In such particulars as these, do gracious souls 
express the care they have of their hearts. They 
are careful to prevent yielding in time of tempta- 
tion ; careful to preserve the sweetness and 
comfort they have got from God in any duty. 
This is the work, and of all works in religion it is 
the most DIFFICULT, CONSTANT AND IM- 
PORTANT WORK. 

ist. It is the hardest work. Heart work is 
hard work indeed. To shuffle over religious duties 
with a loose and heedless spirit, will cost no great 
pains ; but to set thyself before the Lord, and tie 



82 



REPRESENTATION OF 



up thy thoughts to a constant and serious attend- 
ance upon Him ; this will cost thee something. 
To attain a facility and dexterity of language in 
prayer, and put thy meaning into apt and decent 
expressions, is easy ; but to get thy heart broken 
from sin while thou art confessing it ; melted 
with free grace while thou art blessing God for it ; 
to be really ashamed and humbled through the 
apprehension of God's infinite holiness, and to 
keep thy heart in this frame, not only in but after 
duty, will surely cost thee some groans and pains 
of soul. To repress the outward acts of sin, and 
compose the external part of thy life in a laudable 
manner, is no great matter; even carnal persons, 
by the force of common principles, can do this : 
but to kill the root of corruption within, to set 
and keep up a holy government over thy thoughts, 
to have all things lie straight and orderly in the 
heart, this is not easy. 

2d. It is a constant work. The keeping of the 
heart is a work that is never done till life be 
ended. There is no time or condition in the life 
of a Christian, which will suffer an intermission of 
this work. It is in keeping watch over our 
hearts, as it was in keeping up Moses' hands, 
while Israel and Amalek were fighting. No sooner 
do the hands of Moses grow heavy and sink down, 
than Amalek prevails. Intermitting the watch 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



83 



over their own hearts for but a few minutes, cost 
David and Peter many a sad day and night. 

3d. It is the most important business of a 
Christian's life. Without this we are but formal- 
ists in religion : all our professions, gifts and 
duties, signify nothing. " My son, give me thine 
heart," is God's request. God is pleased to call 
that a gift, which is indeed a debt ; He will put 
this honor upon the creature, to receive it from 
Him in the way of a gift ; but if this be not given 
Him, He regards not whatever else you bring to 
Him. There is only so much of worth in what we 
do as there is of heart in it. Concerning the heart, 
God seems to say, as Joseph of Benjamin, "If 
you bring not Benjamin with you, you shall not 
see my face." 

Among the heathen, when the beast was cut up 
for sacrifice, the first thing the priest looked upon 
was the heart, and if that was unsound and worth- 
less, the sacrifice was rejected. God rejects all 
duties (how glorious soever in other respects) 
which are offered Him without a heart. He that 
performs duty without a heart, that is, heedlessly, 
is no more accepted with God than he that per- 
forms it with a double heart, that is, hypocrit- 
ically. 

If the keeping of the heart be so important a 
business ; if such great advantages result from it ; 
if so many valuable interests be wrapt up in it, 



84 



REPRESENTATION OF 



then let me call upon the people of God every- 
where to engage heartily in this work. Oh, study 
your hearts, watch your hearts, keep your hearts ! 
Away with fruitless controversies, and all idle 
questions ; away with empty names and vain shows ; 
away with unprofitable discourse, and bold cen- 
sures of others : turn in upon yourselves ; get into 
your closets, and resolve to dwell there. You 
have been strangers to this work too long ; you 
have kept other vineyards too long ; you have 
trifled about the borders of religion too long ; this 
world has beguiled you, and kept you from your 
great business too long ; — will you now resolve to 
look better to your hearts ? — will you now hasten 
out of the confusion of business and the clamors 
of the world, and retire yourselves more than you 
have done ? O that this day, this hour, you would 
resolve upon doing so ! 

Reader, methinks I shall prevail with you. All 
that I beg for is this, that you would step aside 
oftener to talk with God and your own heart ; that 
you would not suffer every trifle to divert you : 
that you would keep a more true and faithful 
account of your thoughts and affections ; that you 
would seriously demand of your own heart, at least 
every evening, " O my heart, where hast thou been 
to-day, and what has engaged thy thoughts ?" 

If all that has been said by way of inducement, 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



85 



be not enough, I have yet SOME MOTIVES 
TO OFFER YOU. 

% The studying, observing and diligently keep- 
ing your own heart will surprisingly help you to 
understand the deep mysteries of religion. An 
honest, well-experienced, holy heart is an excellent 
help to a weak head. Such a heart will serve for 
a commentary on a great part of the Scriptures. 
By means of, such a heart, you will have a better 
understanding of divine things than the most 
learned (graceless) man ever had, or can have. You 
will not only have a clearer but a more interesting 
and profitable apprehension of them. A man may 
discourse orthodoxly and profoundly of the nature 
and effects of faith, the troubles and comforts of 
conscience, and the sweetness of communion with 
God, who never felt the efficacy and sweet impres- 
sion of these things upon his own soul. But how 
dark and dry are bis notions, compared with those 
of an experienced Christian. When a Christian, 
whose heart had been disciplined and kept, reads 
David's Psalms and Paul's Epistles, he there finds 
his own objections made and answered. "These 
holy men," saith he, "speak my very heart; their 
doubts are mine, their troubles mine ; their expe- 
riences mine." Experience is the best school- 
master. Oh, then, study and keep your heart ! 

II. The study and observation of your own 



86 



REPRESENTATION OF 



heart will powerfully secure you against the dan- 
gerous and infecting errors of the times, and the 
place in which you live. 

III. Your care and diligence in keeping your 
heart will prove one of the best evidences of your 
sincerity. I know no external act of religion, 
which truly distinguishes the sound from the 
unsound professor. It is marvellous how far hypo- 
crites go in all external duties, how plausibly they 
can order the outward man, hiding all their in- 
decencies from the observation of the world. But 
they take no heed to their hearts ; they are not in 
secret what they appear to be in public ; and 
before this test no hypocrite can stand. They 
may, indeed, in a fit of terror, or on a deathbed, 
cry out of the wickedness of their hearts ; but 
such extorted complaints are worthy of no regard. 
No credit, in law, is to be given to the testimony 
of one upon the rack, because it may be supposed 
that the extremity of his torture w r ill make him 
say anything to get relief. Now, if self-jealousy, 
care and watchfulness be the daily workings and 
frame of your heart, you have daily evidence of 
your sincerity : for what but an apprehension of 
the divine presence, and a real hatred of sin on its 
own account, could engage you in these secret 
exercises ? If, then, it be a desirable thing, in your 
estimation, to have a fair evidence of your integ- 
rity, a reasonable ground of hope that you fear 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



87 



God, then inspect and keep your heart with all 
diligence. 

IV. How comfortable and how profitable would 
all ordinances and duties be to you, if your heart 
was faithfully kept. What lively communion 
might you have with God every time you approach 
him, if your heart was in a right frame. You 
might then say with David, " My meditation of 
him shall be sweet." It is the indisposition of the 
heart which renders ordinances and secret duties 
so comfortless to some. They strive to raise their 
hearts to God, now pressing this argument upon 
them, then that, to quicken and affect them ; yet 
they often get nearly through the exercise before 
their hearts begin to be interested in it ; and some 
times they go away no better than they came. 
But the Christian whose heart is prepared, by 
being constantly kept, enters immediately and 
heartily into his duties ; he outstrips his sluggish 
neighbor, gets the first sight of Christ in a 
sermon, the first seal from Christ in a sacrament, 
the first communication of grace and love in secret 
prayer. Let me tell you, that prayers and sermons 
would appear to be very different things from 
what they do ordinarily, if they were attended to 
with hearts which have been kept. , You would 
not go away dejected, and drooping, and lamenting 
"O this has been a lost day, a lost duty to me," if 
you had not first lost your heart. Now if there 



88 REPRESENTATION OF 

be anything valuable and comfortable in ordinances 
and private duties, look to your hearts and keep 
them, I beseech you. 

V. An acquaintance with your own heart will 
furnish you a fountain of matter in prayer. The 
man who is diligent in heart work, will be richly 
supplied with matter in his addresses to God. He 
will not be confused for want of thought ; his 
tongue will not falter for want of expressions. 
Others must pump their memories, rack their in- 
ventions, and have their attentions wholly swal- 
lowed up in finding something to say; and after 
all make out miserably. 

When a heart-experienced, holy Christian is 
wrestling with God for the supply of some special 
want, he speaks not as those do who have learned 
to pray by rote ; their confessions and petitions 
are forced out — his flow freely and feelingly. 
And it is a happiness to be with or near such a 
Christian. 

VI. The most desirable thing in the world, viz., 
the revival of religion among professors, may be 
effected by means of what I am urging upon you. 

O that I might see the time when professors 
shall not walk in a vain show ; when they shall 
please themselves no more with a name to live, 
while they are spiritually dead ; when they shall be 
no more a company of frothy, vain persons ; but 
when holiness shall shine in their conversation 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



89 



and awe the world, and command reverence from 
all that are round them ; when they shall warm the 
hearts of those who come near them, and cause it 
to be said, God is in these men of a truth. And 
may such a time be expected ? Until heart work 
becomes the business of professors, I have no 
hope of seeing a time so blessed. Does it not 
grieve you to see how religion is contemned and 
trampled under foot, and the professors of it ridi- 
culed and scorned in the world ? Professors, 
would you recover your credit ? Would you obtain 
an honorable testimony in the consciences of your 
enemies ? Then keep your hearts. It is the 
looseness, frothiness and earthliness of your 
hearts that has made your lives so unsuitable and 
useless ; this has procured you the disrespect and 
contempt of the world ; this has banished your 
serious and heavenly deportment among men, and 
destroyed your influence over their consciences. 
For the honor of religion and of your profession, 
then, keep your hearts. 

VII. By diligence in keeping our hearts, we 
should prevent the occasions of fatal scandals and 
stumbling-blocks to the world. Woe to the world 
because of offenses ! Does not shame cover your 
faces, do not your hearts even bleed within you to 
hear of the scandalous miscarriages of many loose 
professors! How is "that worthy name" blas- 
phemed ! How are the hearts of the truly 



90 



REPRESENTATION OF 



righteous wounded ! By these things the world 
is prejudiced against Christ and the gospel; 
those who have a sort of liking to the ways of 
religion, are startled and driven back ; the bonds 
of death are made fast upon others, and thus the 
blood of souls is shed ! The consciences of fallen 
professors are plunged and overwhelmed in the 
deeps of trouble ; their souls are debarred the 
comfort of fellowship with Christ, and all the joys 
of His salvation are refused them. Indeed, the 
mischiefs which result from the scandalous lives 
of professors, are almost infinite. And all this 
because they neglect their hearts. What words, 
then, can express the amazing importance of keep- 
ing the heart ! Everything seems to unite in 
making it necessary and momentous. Christians, 
what will you do ? Will you keep your hearts ? 
Will you engage in this work, or lose all the com- 
forts of religion ? Will you do this, or lose your 
characters ? Will you do it, or ruin your souls ? 

VIII. Keep your heart faithfully, and you will 
be prepared for any situation or service to which 
you may be called. This, and this only, can 
properly fit you for usefulness in any station ; but 
with this, you can endure prosperity or adversity ; 
you can deny yourself, and turn your hand to any 
work. Thus Paul turned every circumstance to 
good account, and made himself eminently useful. 
When he preached to others, he provided against 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



91 



being cast away himself ; he kept his heart. And 
everything in which he excelled seems to have 
had a close connection with his diligence in keep 
ing his heart. 

IX. If the people of God would diligently 
keep their hearts, their communion with each 
other would be unspeakably more inviting and 
profitable. Then, " How goodly would be thy 
tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel ! " 
It is the fellowship which the people of God have 
with the Father and with the Son, that kindles the 
desires of others to have communion with them. 
I tell you, if saints would be persuaded to spend 
more time and take more pains about their hearts, 
there would soon be such a divine excellence in 
their conversation, that others would account it no 
small privilege to be with or near them. It is the 
pride, passions and earthliness of our hearts, that 
has spoiled Christian fellowship. Why is it, that 
when Christians meet, they are often jarring and 
contending, but because their passions are unmor- 
tified ? Whence come their uncharitable censures 
of their brethren, but from their ignorance of 
themselves ? Why are they so rigid and unfeeling 
towards those who have fallen, but because they 
do not feel their own weakness and liability to 
temptation ? Why is their discourse so light and 
unprofitable when they meet, but because their 
hearts are earthly and vain ? My brethren, these, 



92 



REPRESENTATION OF 



and similar things, are what have spoiled Christian 
fellowship, and made it so dry and disgusting, that 
even many Christians are weary of it ; and there- 
fore, they seek, in retirement, that happiness which 
the society of saints was designed to afford. But 
now, if Christians would study their hearts more, 
and keep them better, all this would be prevented; 
and the beauty and glory of communion would be 
restored. They would divide no more, contend no 
more, censure rashly no more : when their hearts 
are kept, their tongues will not go loose. They will 
feel right, one towards another, when each is daily 
humbled, under a sense of the evil of his own 
heart. May God hasten the state of things which 
I desire, and for which I plead, and may these 
counsels have some good effect. 

You have seen that the keeping of the heart is 
the great work of a Christian, in which the very 
soul and life of religion consists, and without 
which, all other duties are of no value in the sight 
of God. Hence, to the consternation of hypo- 
crites and formal professors, I infer, 

INFERENCES. 

I. That the pains and labors which many per- 
sons have undergone in religion, are of no value, 
and will turn to no good account. Many splendid 
services have been performed by men, which God 
will utterly reject ; they will not stand on record 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



93 



in order to an eternal acceptance, because the per- 
formers took no heed to keep their hearts with 
God. This is that fatal rock on which thousands 
of vain professors dash and ruin themselves 
eternally ; they are exact about the externals of 
religion, but regardless of their hearts. O how 
many hours have some professors spent in hearing, 
praying, reading and conferring ! and yet, as to 
the main end of religion, they might as well have 
sat still and done nothing ; the great work, I mean 
heart work, being all the while neglected. Tell 
me, vain professor, when did you shed a tear for 
the deadness, hardness, unbelief or earthliness of 
your heart ? And do you think your easy religion 
can save you ? If so, you must invert Christ's 
words, and say, Wide is the gate and broad is the 
way that leadeth to life, and many there be that go 
in thereat ! Hear me, ye self-deluding hypocrites \ 
you, who have put off God with heartless duties ; 
you, who have acted in religion as if you had been 
blessing an idol ; you, who could not search your 
heart and regulate it, and exercise it in your per- 
formances ; how will you abide the coming of the 
Lord ? How will you hold up your head before 
Him, when He shall say, " O you dissembling, 
false-hearted man ! how could you profess religion ? 
With what face could you so often tell Me that you 
love Me, when you knew in your conscience, that 
your heart was not with Me ? " O tremble to 



94 



REPRESENTATION OF 



think what a fearful judgment it is to be given 
over to a heedless and careless heart, and then to 
have religious duties, instead of a rattle, to quiet 
and still the conscience ! 

2. I infer for their humiliation, that unless the 
people of God spend more time and pains about 
their hearts than they ordinarily do, they are never 
like to do God much service, or to possess much 
comfort in this world. I may say of that Chris- 
tian, who is remiss and careless in keeping his 
heart, as Jacob said of Reuben, Thou shalt not 
excel. It grieves me to see how many Christians 
there are who live at a poor, low rate, both of ser- 
vice and comfort, and who go up and down 
dejected and complaining. But how can they 
expect it to be otherwise while they live so care- 
lessly ? O how little of their time is spent in the 
closet, in searching, humbling and quickening 
their hearts! Christian, you say your heart is 
dead, and do you wonder that it is, so long as 
you keep it not with the fountain of life ? If your 
body had been dieted as your soul has, that would 
have been dead, too. And you may never expect 
that your heart will be in a better state until you 
take more pains with it. 

O Christians ! I fear your zeal and strength 
have run in the wrong channel ; I fear the most of 
us may take up the Church's complaint : " They 
have made me the keeper of the vineyards, but 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



95 



mine own vineyard have I not kept." Two things 
have eaten up the time and strength of the pro- 
fessors of this generation, and sadly diverted them 
from heart work : 

FATAL DIVERSIONS. 

First: — Fruitless controversies, started by 
Satan, I doubt not, for the very purpose of taking 
us off from practical godliness : to make us puzzle 
our heads, when we should be inspecting our 
hearts. How little have we regarded the observa- 
tion, "It is a good thing that the heart be estab- 
lished with grace and not with meats,'' (that is, 
with disputes and controversies about meats,) 
"which have not profited them that have been 
occupied therein." How much better it is to see 
men live exactly, than to hear them dispute with 
subtlety. These unfruitful questions, how have 
they rended the churches, wasted time and 
spirits, and taken Christians off from their main 
business ? What think you, would it not have 
been better if the questions agitated among the 
people of God of late had been such as these: 
How shall a man distinguish the special from the 
common operations of the Spirit ? How may a 
soul discern its first declinings from God ? How 
may a backsliding Christian recover his first love ? 
How may the heart be preserved from unreason- 
able thoughts in duty ? How may a bosom sin be 



96 



REPRESENTATION OF 



discovered and cleansed ? Would not this course 
have tended more to the honor of religion and the 
comfort of souls ? I am ashamed that the pro- 
fessors of this generation are yet insensible of 
their folly? You have come to what your min- 
isters long since expected, and warned you of; 
and what will be the event ? / call on you to 
repent. O that God would turn your disputes and 
contentions into practical godliness ! 

Second: — Worldly cares and incumbrances have 
greatly increased the neglect of our hearts. The 
heads and hearts of multitudes have been filled 
with such a crowd and noise of worldly business, 
that they have lamentably declined in their zeal, 
their love, their delight in God, and their heavenly, 
serious and profitable way of conversing with men. 
How miserably have we entangled ourselves in 
this wilderness of trifles. Our discourses, our 
conferences, nay, our very prayers, are tinged with 
it. We have had so much to do without, that we 
have been able to do but little within. And how 
many precious opportunities have we thus lost ? 
How many admonitions of the Spirit have passed 
over unf ruitf ully ? How often has the Lord called 
to us, when our worldly thoughts have prevented 
us from hearing ? But there certainly is a way to 
enjoy God even in our worldly employments. If 
we lose our views of Him when engaged in our 
temporal affairs, the fault is our own. Alas ! that 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



97 



Christians should stand at the door of eternity, 
having more work upon their hands than their 
time is sufficient for, and yet be filling their heads 
and hearts with trifles ! 

Third: — I infer thirdly, for the awakening of all, 
that if the keeping of the heart be the great work 
of a Christian, then there are but few real Chris- 
tians in the world. If every one who has learned 
the dialect of Christianity, and who can talk like a 
saint ; if every one who has gifts and parts, and 
who can make shift to preach, pray or discourse 
like a Christian ; in a word, if all such as associate 
with the people of God, and partake of ordinances, 
may pass for Christians, then, indeed, the number 
is great. But alas ! how few can be found, if you 
judge them by this rule — how few are there who 
conscientiously keep their hearts, watch their 
thoughts, and look scrupulously to their motives ! 
Indeed there are few closet-men among professors ! 
It is easier for men to be reconciled to any other 
duties in religion than to these. The profane 
part of the world will not so much as meddle with 
the outside of any religious duties, and least of all 
with these; and as the hypocrite, though he may 
be very particular in externals, you can never per- 
suade him to undertake this inward, this difficult 
work; this work to which there is no inducement 
from human applause ; this work which would 
quickly discover what the hypocrite cares not to 



98 



REPRESENTATION OF 



know : so that by general consent, this heart work 
is left to the hands of a few secret ones ; and I 
tremble to think in how fe*r hands it is. 

Lastly: — Keep your heart, and then the com- 
forts of the Spirit, and the influence of all 
ordinances, will be more fixed and lasting than they 
now are. Could you keep those things constantly 
in your heart what a Christian you would be, — 
what a life you would live ! And how is it that 
these things remain no longer with you ? Doubt- 
less it is because you suffer your heart to grow 
cold again. But why do you not prevent this? 
Why do you not keep your heart ? "Do the con- 
solations of God seem small to you?" Ah, you 
have reason to be ashamed that the ordinances of 
God, as to their quickening and comforting effects, 
should make so light and transient an impression 
on your heart. 

Now, reader, consider well these special benefits 
of keeping the heart which I have mentioned. 
Examine their importance. Are they small mat- 
ters ? Is it a small matter to have your under- 
standing assisted ? Your endangered soul ren- 
dered safe ? Your sincerity proved ? Your com- 
munion with God sweetened ? Your heart filled 
with matter for prayer? Is it a small thing to 
have the power of godliness again recovered ? All 
fatal scandals removed, and instrumental fitness to 



THE HEART OF MAN. 99 

serve Christ obtained? The communion of saints 
restored to its primitive glory ? The rejoicing ever- 
more, praying without ceasing, and in everything 
giving thanks, and the influence of ordinances 
abiding in the souls of saints? If these are no 
common blessings, no ordinary benefits, then, 
surely, it is a great and indispensable duty to keep 
the heart with all diligence. 

Finally: — Are you inclined to undertake the 
business of keeping your heart ? Are you resolved 
upon it ? I charge you, then, to engage in it 
earnestly. Away with every cowardly feeling, 
and make up your mind to encounter difficulties. 
Draw your armor from the word of God. Let the 
word of Christ dwell in you richly, in its com- 
mands, its promises, its threatenings ; let it be 
fixed in your understanding, your memory, your 
conscience, your affections. You must learn to 
wield the sword of the Spirit (which is the word 
of God) familiarly, if you would defend your Heart 
and conquer your enemies. You must call your- 
self frequently to an account ; examine yourself as 
in the presence of the all-seeing God : bring your 
conscience, as it were, to the bar of judgment. 
Beware how you plunge yourself into a multiplic- 
ity of worldly business ; how you practice upon the 
maxims of the world ; and how you venture at all 
upon forbidden territory. You must exercise the 



100 REPRESENTATION OF 

utmost vigilance to discover and check the first 
symptoms of departure from God, the least decline 
of spirituality, or the least indisposition to medi- 
tation by yourself, and holy conversation and fellow- 
ship with others. These things you must under- 
take in the strength of Christ, with invincible 
resolution in the outset. And if you thus engage 
in this great work, be assured, you shall not spend 
your strength for naught ; comforts which you 
never felt or thought of will flow in upon you 
from every side. The diligent prosecution of 
this work will constantly afford you the most 
powerful excitements to vigilance and ardor in the 
life of faith, while it increases your strength and 
wears out your enemies. And when you have 
kept your heart with all diligence, a little while, 
when you have fought the battles of this spiritual 
warfare, maintained purity within, and vanquished 
the enemy without, then God will open the gate of 
heavSn to you, and give you the portion which is 
promised to them that overcome. Awake, then, 
this moment ; keep the world under your feet ; 
punt not for the things which a man may have and 
eternally lose his soul ; but bless God that you 
may have His service here, and the glory here- 
after which He appoints to the faithful. 

"Now the God of peace, that brought again 
from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



101 



of the sheep ; through the blood of the everlasting 
covenant, make you perfect in every good work to 
do His will ; working in you that which is well 
pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ : to 
whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." 



102 



REPHESENTATION OF 



ON KEEPING THE HEART. 

Prov. 4:23 : "Keep Thy Heart with all Dili- 
gence ; FOR OUT OF IT ARE THE ISSUES OF 

Life." 

Rev. A. L. Smith. 



HOW to keep religion, is a great question. " It 
will keep us," says one, "if we get enough 
of it." "It will keep us," we reply, "if we meet 
certain conditions." And it still needs to be 
asked what we must do to keep our religion. The 
text is a divine direction for keeping saved : " Keep 
thy hearth The reason given is, for "out of it 
are the issues of life." This signifies not only 
that eternal results of weal or woe flow from the 
state of the heart, but also that the life issues from 
the heart, the daily walk and conversation, is 
determined by it. 

This language of our text suggests what the 
heart is. It is the center of the moral being. It 
is a less comprehensive word than " soul " which 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



103 



means usually, the entire moral being. Hence we 
read in Scripture of the soul being saved, but 
never of the heart being saved. Salvation has 
reference to the responsible moral agent — the 
entire man, or the moral nature as a whole. The 
soul is the man. The heart is the center of the 
man, and the seat of the affections. The heart is 
renewed and purified, while the soul is saved. 

Now see the central relation of the heart. It is 
the affectional nature. There the moral impulses 
spring. Desires, holy or sinful, are of the heart. 
From these desires spring purposes. The soul now 
acts. Words and conduct are the result. Thus 
the life issues from the heart. When Jesus says, 
" Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth 
speaketh," and "Out of the heart proceed evil 
thoughts, murders, etc., ,, He teaches that a man 
will purpose, speak and do according to his heart, 
that is, as he desires. This will be true in the 
long run. 

Inasmuch, then, as the heart is at the center of 
the moral being and the life, it follows that we 
must keep the heart sound and true ; and that, if 
we only can, by God's help, guard the heart from 
sin and Satan, we have solved the problem of how 
to keep our religion, and continue saved. What 
is it, then, to keep the heart ? We divide our 
inquiry thus : I. In what condition, and II. By 
what means is the heart to be kept ? 



104 



REPRESENTATION OF 



I. A state of grace is implied. It is therein 
that we are to hold ourselves. " Keep yourselves/ 1 
says Jude. Where? "In the love of God." 
Jesus charges us, "Abide in me." This union He 
represents under the figure of the branch in the 
vine. The call of Scripture to the sinner is, to 
come to God ; to the believer, "Abide " in Him. 

A regenerate state is understood, a condition of 
life. The heart must first be renewed. Holy 
affections must be implanted by the Holy Ghost. 
These are the " new heart " spoken of in the 
Scriptures. Conversion or regeneration makes 
the soul alive, and the heart new. But this is not 
sufficient. There is a higher stage of grace im- 
plied in the text, and abundantly provided in the 
gospel. We are to "keep our hearts " in a wholly 
purified condition. Regeneration is not a state to 
rest in. It leads right on to heart-purity. The 
heart of the regenerate man is "impatient of 
indwelling sin." It yearns for spotless purity. 
Read the hymns under the title of Sanctification 
in the hymnal. Dwell on that one so much sung, 
"Oh, for a heart to praise my God." You will 
see that the Christian convert, truly renewed, with 
holy affections implanted, longs and grasps after 
that perfect purity which comes from the removal 
of "all unrighteousness." He wants the garden 
of his heart freed from the weeds, that the flowers 
of grace, fruits of the Spirit, may grow and thrive. 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



105 



Regeneration, to be sure, is not to be abandoned. 
It is rather to be maintained by advancing to 
entire purity. We are to go on unto perfection. 
This is the law of regeneration, and the only way 
that this grace can be maintained. Purity of 
heart, carrying with it fullness of love, is the Bible 
standard of piety. It is in this blessed state, then, 
that the text would have us keep ourselves. To 
rest short of this is to come short of the glory of 
God, Who hath " chosen us in Christ before the 
foundation of the world, that we should be holy 
and without blame before Him in love." 

This, then, is to be our permanent spiritual 
state. Herein we are to "keep our hearts with ^11 
diligence." It is not maturity, not a perfected 
growth, not a remote attainment. It is simply 
an unmixed spirituality, a heart full of love 
because emptied of inborn sin. Into this grace 
we have access by faith, and in it we are to stand 
and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 

II. But how may we keep our hearts? We 
answer, first, by faith. This should be put first, 
for we are utterly dependent upon God for pres- 
ervation, as we are for salvation. It is His power 
that keeps us. We are at once reminded of that 
classic text, I Pet. i : 5. " Kept by the power of God, 
through faith." The power is the power of God ; the 
condition of its operation is our faith. Faith 
throws upon Him Who is able to keep. Or, 



106 



REPRESENTATION OF 



better, perhaps, it is a continuous adjustment to 
Almighty power. It is a perpetual rest in the 
Everlasting Arms. Here is true repose ! Glory 
to God forever and ever ! 

The faith by which we are kept is essentially 
the same as that by which we are saved. It is an 
appropriating trust in the Savior. It is, however, 
to be distinguished somewhat from that " naked 
faith " by which the soul enters life, and the full- 
ness of life. The faith that keeps is saving 
faith confirmed, and strengthened and brightened 
by the witness of the Spirit, and by various and 
repeated manifestations and blessings of grace. 
He that is exhorted to " keep his heart " is one 
who has already " received the end of his (saving) 
faith, even the salvation of his soul." He has had 
"the light of the knowledge of the glory of God 
in the face of Jesus Christ." This light has both 
rewarded and increased his faith ; and he now 
marches on, well satisfied to " walk by faith and 
' not by sight," since his path " grows brighter 
and brighter, even unto the perfect day." 

The ultimate foundation of faith is the Word of 
God. It is the " promise," the declaration, the 
"thus saith the Lord." Manifestations of divine 
love are the confirmation, not the foundation of 
saving trust in Jesus. Even the Witness of the 
Spirit is not the basis of faith. It is rather a 
divine assurance that the salvation, for which we 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



107 



are trusting, is ours. We go on trusting the 
Word : the Spirit continues to witness. Our faith 
strengthens and settles. Its foundation is ever- 
more the Word of God. We trust the God-Man to 
save and sanctify, and to preserve us blameless 
unto His Coming — why? Because by His Word 
He is pledged thus to save and thus to keep. 

III. But, obedience as well as faith, is neces- 
sary in order to keep the heart. We have some- 
thing to do : we must " keep our hearts." This 
must be accomplished not only by trusting the 
Savior but also by doing His will. This is the 
meaning of the declaration of James : " Faith 
without works is dead." We are not to understand 
that faith alone cannot bring salvation. For it is 
a fundamental law in the administration of grace 
that salvation is by faith. But we are to under- 
stand that faith alone cannot keep us in salvation. 
In fact, true saving faith will not " abide alone." 
As soon as either the new life, or the life more 
abundant is entered, the faith by which it was 
entered will commence to evidence itself by works. 
And thus the ransomed soul is justified, i. e., 
declared to be truly of God — by works, and not 
by faith only. So that while faith alone saves us, 
it takes faith and obedience, both, to keep us. % 
Faith secures salvation ; obedience evidences sal- 
vation ; and faith and obedience, together, keep us 
in salvation. 



108 



REPRESENTATION OF 



But what must we do in order to keep diligently 
our hearts ? Prayer is fundamentally necessary : 
so is the searching of the Scriptures. Without 
carrying these two practices along together, the 
soul, however gloriously saved, will assuredly suffer 
decline. The keenest, rarest, sweetest experience 
will fade, the fine gold become dim. The two 
exercises of supplication and of thanksgiving 
which together constitute prayer, and the patient, 
humble study of the Word are among the appointed 
means for our continuance and guidance in the 
grace of God. And to these let us add another, 
attendance upon, and constant participation in, the 
public means of grace. Means of grace! Mark 
the phrase. Means of receiving and of retaining 
the grace of God. It is our privilege, because it 
is our need, to carry into the social meetings 
our brightest experience, that it may burn in prayer 
and glow in song and testimony. Let no adverse 
influence, or false philosophy keep us from our 
place in the gatherings of God's children. Jesus 
is there. We may well be there also. It is our 
proper place, before God and men. 

Moreover, we must studiously endeavor, in all 
the details of daily life, to practice sterling 
.♦obedience to God. " Whatsoever ye do in word 
or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." 
Our fervor and zeal should not exhaust themselves 
in any one line of activity, as for instance in public 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



109 



worship. We must carry our spiritual ardors and 
energies into all we do or say, letting Holiness 
permeate shape, and vitalize our whole lives. What 
has this to do with keeping our hearts ? We 
answer, it holds us in line with God's will and pur- 
pose ; makes it possible and easy always to trust 
Him ; and so keeps the soul in the divine hands, 
and the heart every moment under the blood. 
Loving, painstaking obedience, added to full, 
saving trust will keep the heart under the full 
power of gospel grace. And, in turn, this fullness 
and richness of grace will render obedience easy 
and delightsome. 

" Certainly," says some one ; " I believe in lov- 
ing to do the will of God. It is good to know it, 
better to do it, and best of all to love it. And 
so," continues our enthusiastic brother, " I don't 
believe in naming over the things we must do. 
That is legalizing salvation. Get the fullness of 
love, and you will inevitably do God's will; it can't 
be otherwise." But wait, brother. There is a 
difference between loving to do God's will, and 
having to do it. We are still in a state of proba- 
tion, free to stand or fall. We must continually 
choose to walk with God, resisting every solicita- 
tion of the world, and assault of the devil. Your 
heart is clean, and filled with love. Yet all hell is 
sworn to compass your overthrow. Keep your 
shield before you; wield your sword. You're a 



110 



REPRESENTATION OF 



soldier. " Fight the good fight." " Lay hold on 
eternal life." You have something to do, and 
the fact that you love to do it doesn't alter the 
fact that you've got to do it. 

Neither faith without works, nor love without 
obedience is sufficient. " But love is obedience." 
Yes ; but love can be smothered out by failure to 
give it proper expression. Love is the mightiest 
force in the universe, the mightiest moral force. 
But love doesn't coerce your will. You may choose 
against the tenderest dictates of perfect love. 
Adam did ; and before him, Lucifer, son of the 
morning. The one shot like lightning from 
heaven : the other plunged a race into sin, and 
nailed the Son of God to the cross. They failed 
at the point of obedience. Now, while love is the 
soul of obedience, it does not release us from the 
necessity of obedience ; but, the rather, it power- 
fully incites to the most careful and vigorous 
activity in the service of the One beloved. Fail- 
ing under any outward pressure to do the will of 
God, we smother the love principle, and endanger 
the life of the soul. This is precisely the point at 
which nine backsliders out of ten commence their 
departure from God. 

Obedience, therefore, is necessary in order to 
keep diligently the heart, a necessity, although 
a delight to the heart made perfect in love. 
This is why it is so easy to keep perfect love : 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



Ill 



because it makes duty so delightsome. Thus it 
becomes a pleasure to fulfill the very conditions by 
which the heart is kept, viz., faith and obedience. 
Perfect love casteth out fear, and therefore unbe- 
lief ; it also is the very spirit of obedience. Thus 
this blessed experience reduces to the minimum 
the effort required to keep the heart, and walk 
with God. Therefore, to compress into the 
smallest compass our direction, — the divine 
direction — for keeping religion, we would say, get 
flooded with love to God, and then spend and be 
spent for Him. Glory to His Name, forever ! 



112 



REPRESENTATION OF 



HEART KEEPING. 
By Rev. A. T. Pierson, D.D. 

[The following excellent and suggestive sketch we take from 
the Homiletic Review published by Funk & Wagnalls, New York. 
It would have been much improved if the author had recognized 
the efficacy of the ever-cleansing blood of Christ as a factor in 
keeping the heart, and also the personal indwelling of the Holy 
Ghost. The two suggestions of familiarity with the Bible and 
constancy in prayer are invaluable, but otherwise the sketch 
does not sufficiently recognize the supernatural element in this 
all-important work. It would have been better, too, to have 
shown the necessity of the' new birth, as preliminary to all 
keeping.] 

" Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it 
are the issues of life" Pro v. 

What to do ? Why to do ? How to do ? are the 
three questions suggested. 

I. " Above all that thou keepest, keep thy 
heart/' The word (heart) here used is a common, 
popular word to express the inmost self. 

Often in the word of God we are warned to 
keep the feet, as the representatives of our walk ; 
the tongue, mouth, lips, as the representatives of 
our talk ; the hands, as the symbols of our work, 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



113 



but above all else, the heart. If a " double watch " 
is needed at the door of the lips, what a legion of 
sentries at the gates of the inner man ! 

I! For out of it flow the issues of life — i. e., 
the heart is the determining factor in all life's 
problems — the fountain of all final issues for good 
or evil. Here are formed the materials of his- 
tory and destiny. 

1. Here thought first takes form ; it is the 
source of all our conceptions. Thought matured 
into conviction is belief ; matured into purpose is 
motive ; thought vitally linked with thought be- 
comes argument, etc. 

Even our creed is thus the product of our 
heart, for the heart makes the theology. Atheism 
is the creed of the fool, L e., the moral fool, who 
in his heart first wishes there were no God 
(Ps. 14 : 1). The wish is parent to the thought. 
No holy man ever was an atheist. 

2. Out of the heart proceed all our words. 
The tongue is untamed and untamable because the 
heart (unsanctified) is deceitful above all things, 
and desperately wicked. Speech is born of the 
thoughts and is thought incarnated. 

3. Out of the heart proceed our actions, good 
and bad ; our works take their character from our 
hearts. Man may misread and misjudge, but God, 
who knoweth and trieth our hearts, makes no 
mistake. 



114 



REPRESENTATION OF 



4. Hence, out of the heart proceeds the char- 
acter, which is, after all, the sum of our thoughts, 
words, works. Character is the sum total of our 
secret and manifested history. Reputation may 
sometimes belie character, and is, therefore, of lit- 
tle consequence in comparison. Character is what 
I am y reputation is what others take me to be. 

5. Hence destiny is another issue of the heart, 
for ultimately character fills condition. 

III. How to keep it. 

Manifestly, 1. By constant communion with 
the Word of God. " Thy word have I hid in my 
heart y that I might not sin against Thee"' 
Ps, 119 : 11. 

2. By constant self -scrutiny. An eye upon 
one's self, one's habit of thought, desire, feeling, 
etc. 

3. By constant prayer, to God. 

4. By constant culture of holiness. 

The first supplies a standard ; the second, an 
open and vigilant eye ; the third, a source of help ; 
the fourth, a practical diligence in endeavor. 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



115 



KEEPING THE HEART. 

BY REV. W. MCDONALD. 
" Keep thy heart with all diligence." 

ALL Scripture counsels carry with them the 
force of command. The duty here enjoined 
is of incalculable importance to every soul : for, as 
is the heart, so will be the life ; and, as is the life, 
so will be our eternal destiny. 

We are not to understand by the term " heart," 
that vital member of the body which philosophers 
tell us is the first to live and the last to die ; but 
it includes here the whole soul, with all its powers, 
faculties and endowments. 

"Keep" has a variety of significations ^ut the 
main one here is to keep in safe custody. We 
should keep our hearts as under a lock and key, 
that we may be ever ready to surrender them at 
the call of the great Master. 

We are to keep our hearts with all diligence, or, 
as the Hebrew runs, with all keeping. They are 
to be kept with watch and ward. The word is 



116 



REPRESENTATION OF 



borrowed from military affairs. Lavater tells us 
that shamar is taken from a besieged garrison, 
begirt by many enemies without, and in danger of 
being betrayed by treacherous citizens within ; in 
which danger the soldiers are commanded to watch 
upon pain of death. Hence Gesenius defines it, 
to be stiff, rigid ; to stand erect, to bristle. Then 
transferred to fixedness of look, to stare, to look at 
earnestly. Hence, to watch, to guard, to keep, etc. 

The words, "keep" and " diligence " have nearly 
the same meaning. One expresses the idea of 
keeping, and the other the manner of keeping, One 
is to keep, the other is to keep closely, to observe 
diligently, to watch with all watching, to keep with 
all keeping. These words import a universal, 
diligent, constant watchfulness over the heart. 
We are exhorted to keep the eye, the tongue, the 
feet, the lips : but, above all, we should keep the 
heart ; for this, if not kept, will corrupt the eye, 
the tongue, the lips, and turn the feet from holi- 
ness and God. 

This work is of so much importance that it 
cannot be committed to others. We may intrust 
to otheg^ the keeping of our houses, our vineyards, 
our shops, our money, our children ; but we must 
be our own heart-keeper. This is of too much 
importance to be intrusted to others. 

We should keep our hearts as those who have 
charge of prisons where felons and malefactors are 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



117 



kept ; as soldiers would keep a besieged garrison 
or city or castle in time of war ; as the priests and 
Levites kept the sanctuary of God and the holy 
things committed to their charge. We should 
guard our hearts as a man would guard his life ; as 
men keep their silver and gold. Locks, bars, 
bolts, and chains are brought into requisition. But 
what are jewels and costly treasures compared with 
the heart ? Our souls are worth more than the 
crowns, kingdoms, and sceptres of a million worlds. 
Mountains of gold, the thrones of the Caesars, the 
sceptre of universal empire, are as the small dust 
of the balances compared with our souls. We 
should watch it, keep it, guard it. It is the pres- 
ence-chamber of the king of heaven, the fort-royal 
of the Captain of our salvation. We should keep 
our hearts as we would keep our dwellings from 
the desolating hand of the thief and robber; as 
we would keep our gardens, filled with choice fruit 
and flowers. This keeping must not be for a 
day, a week, a year, but for the whole of life. This 
must be done in a wakeful, watchful, tender, 
believing, humble, patient, serious, jealous, 
heavenly frame. Satan has a strong hold upon 
human nature. He has a numerous, strong, 
subtle party; if not already in, at any moment 
ready to enter the heart. Hence it needs to be 
bolted and barred at each and every moment. 
Alexander is safe while Antipater keeps the 



118 



REPRESENTATION OF 



watch. The heart is the great wheel which sets 
all in motion ; therefore, above all things, keep 
the heart. How foolish to watch the outworks, 
and leave the fort-royal without a guard. It is 
equally foolish for us to watch the outworks of the 
soul, — the eye, the ear, the tongue, the hand, the 
feet, — and leave the heart without a guard. These 
outworks are all to be watched, but the heart pre- 
eminently so. 

And now, dear Christian, take care of thy 
heart. It must be purified by faith. Common 
light, common conviction, education, principles of 
common honesty, morality, — none of these can 
reform the life, and purify the heart. They are 
too weak. Principles of a higher nature are 
required for this work. It is not a guard of moral 
virtues, but a guard of moral graces, that can keep 
the heart from evil. How often hast thou cried 
out, dear Christian, in deep agony of soul, Oh, 
that this ignorant heart were but more enlight- 
ened ! Oh, that this proud heart were but more 
humble ! Oh, that this unholy heart were but more 
holy ! Oh, that this unbelieving heart were but 
more believing ! Oh, that this earthly heart were 
but more heavenly ! Oh, that this passionate heart 
were but more meek ! Oh, that this light heart 
were but more serious ! Oh, that this carnal heart 
were but more spiritual ! 



119 



THE HEART OF MAN. 



How often hast thou sung, — 

" Oh ! wash my soul from every sin, 
And make my guilty conscience clean 
Here, on my heart, the burden lies, 
And past offences pain my eyes." 

Only believe, and thou shalt receive 

" A heart in every thought renewed, 
And full of love divine ; 
Perfect and right, and pure and good, 
A copy, Lord, of thine." 



